InuYasha: The Reincarnations
by Sheyvannasensei
Summary: High-school seniors Kitsune and Lina never expected that they would end up falling into the well in the shrine, falling head-first into past lives that they never knew they had. With the help of two reincarnated demon-slayers, Inuyasha and the group have a better chance of killing Naraku; but only if the girls don't cause too much drama to function in the feudal era. xLEMONtoCOMEx
1. The Beginning

"We all had to do it," one of the girls stated, folding her arms.

"It's tradition," another girl added.

Kitsune and Lina were standing outside one of the buildings in the Shinto shrine, with only one step away from being members of an exclusive club at their high school. All they had to do was go into the old, dark building that was in front of them and stay in there for an hour.

"It doesn't sound that bad," Lina whispered, nudging Kitsune with her elbow. Kitsune didn't look that worried. This would be a walk in the park for them. Neither one could be intimidated that easily.

"Don't worry Lina, I'll be there to protect you from the big, bad Boogie Man," Kitsune said, jokingly. Lina rolled her eyes at her friend, turning her attention back the group of girls that surrounded the two.

"If you two do this, you will forever be members of our sisterhood. This might be the end of our senior year, but this bond will last through life," the president of the club stated in a commanding voice. "Are you girls ready?" she asked, walking up to the door of the shrine.

Kitsune and Lina looked at each other and smiled. In tandem they nodded to the president and stepped towards her.

"Good luck, ladies," she giggled, opening the door to the building.

"We don't need luck," Kitsune replied, walking in. Lina followed without a word.

The inside was dark and very dusty, but besides that there was nothing wrong with it. They continued further into the room by walking down a set of stairs. When they reached the bottom of the room, there was nothing inside the old wooden building but a well.

"What's a well doing inside a shrine?" Kitsune asked, walking towards it.

"I don't know. Do I look like an architect to you?" Lina stated, sitting down on the bottom step. "All I know is that all this dust is going to kill my allergies," she sighed.

Kitsune was looking down the well with a puzzled look on her face.

"What's the matter?" Lina asked, as she walked towards her.

"There's a purple-ish light coming out of the bottom," she told her with a confused expression.

"What? That's weird let me see," Lina demanded, sticking her head into the well a little bit. Instead of there being a dirt floor at the bottom of the well, there was a glowing, purple light. "That's strange. There _is_ a purple light coming from it," Lina said, looking at Kitsune with her brow furrowed.

"You know what? I think the girls outside put something in here before we showed up," Kitsune stated. For a moment the two girls were quiet. They thought about the possibility. "That's what it is. The girls are trying to pull a trick on us," she announced.

Lina nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't put it passed them to do something like this," she laughed, returning to her seat on the step. Kitsune continued to look down the well, while Lina doodled carelessly in the dust. "I wonder how much more time we have left," Lina sighed. _This tradition is actually kind of boring_ she thought to herself sighing. _I can't believe that they think this is scary_ she added.

Lina suddenly heard a squeal from the direction that Kitsune was in. She looked up to see her friend loose her balance and fall into the well. Lina ran over and peered down to see if Kitsune was alright.

"Are you okay?" she asked, laughing a bit. After a couple moments of silence she began to worry. "Kitsune? Are you okay?" she asked, sticking her body further into the well to see if she could see her friend at the bottom. The brick Lina was holding on-to for support broke off and she flew down into the darkness.

She waited to hit the bottom of the well, but was surprised when it never happened. The purple-ish color surrounded Lina's peripheral as far as she could see. Then, with-out a warning she hit the hard bottom.

"Oww, get off of me," Kitsune whined. It took Lina a while to realize that she was laying on top of her friend.

"Oh, sorry," she murmured, rolling off of her. "I swear that was the longest fall in the history of falling," she added, dusting herself off.

"I second that. I mean I thought it was never going to end," Kitsune grunted as she stood up. "I didn't know that wells could be this deep. How are we going to get out?" she added, helping her friend up off the ground. Lina and Kitsune looked up, noticing right away that there was light coming from the opening above.

"Well, it doesn't look like we're in that deep, so we can probably climb out," Lina finally replied. Kitsune looked at her like she was crazy. "What?" Lina sighed.

"You expect me to climb that?" she questioned. Lina sighed again and put her hand to her forehead.

"Kitsune, it's either climb up that, or die down here," she explained, removing the hand from her forehead, setting it on Kitsune's shoulder. "I know you can do it. It's not that far up," she told her encouragingly.

"Fine, I'll climb up. But you better catch me if I fall," Kitsune said, getting a hold on the bricks. "When I get up there, I'm going to kick someone's ass," she muttered, making her way up the walls. _These girls have gone too far. What if one of us got hurt falling down the well?_ Kitsune thought angrily. Kitsune slowly, but surely made her way up the side.

Lina was honestly surprised that her clumsy friend hadn't fallen, or slipped. Kitsune had never had coordination when it came to any kind of sport; it was her curse.

"Come on! You're almost to the top," Lina told her, hoping she would make it out. Kitsune didn't reply and just kept on climbing. "She must be really concentrated," Lina murmured staring up at her friend.

Kitsune finally made it to the top edge and pulled herself out. "Lina, I don't think we're in the building anymore," Kitsune gasped.

"What?" Lina murmured. "Did you hit your head when you fell?" she called up. Kitsune didn't reply, so she began to worry. "I'll be right up," she called up again. Lina began to make her way up the side of the well as well.

She was just about to climb out, but then she heard voices. She had no idea whose voice it was because she had never heard it before. All she could tell was that it was a guy. Lina froze, trying to hear what the man was saying. No matter how hard she tried to hear him, she just couldn't make out the words. Before she could think of anything else, a little head popped up over the well.

"Inuyasha, there's another one in here," the person called.

_Oh crap… Are we getting jumped?_ Lina thought. Sweat was starting to form on her forehead. "What should I do?" she asked herself. The only thing she could think of was to crawl back down and find a stick, or anything she could use as a weapon. She began to climb back down, but before she got too far someone grabbed the shirt of her school uniform and lifted her out of the well.

"Where do you think you're going?" The man asked.

Lina didn't know what to say, so she just looked for Kitsune. She found her friend sitting under a tree with three people standing around her. Two of the people were wearing traditional clothing and so was the man carrying Lina, but one of the girls was wearing the girls' same school uniform. Lina finally noticed that they were now in an open field with trees surrounding it, not in the building they had once been in.

_Where the hell are we?_ she thought.

The strange man then threw her over his shoulder and carried her in the direction of the other people. As they got closer Lina could see that Kitsune was talking freely with the girl in the uniform. _I've got to be dreaming. I hit my head when I fell and now I'm dreaming _Lina thought again. _What I'm seeing just doesn't make sense, so it has to be a dream._

The man finally put her down next to Kitsune and she was able to finally get a good look at the people surrounding her. She was shocked to notice that she knew the girl in the uniform. Her name was Kagome, a girl who actually did go to their school. The other people, however, were unrecognizable.

She turned back to Kitsune to see her staring at something. "What is it Kitsune?" Lina asked her, afraid to follow her gaze.

"He… he has dog ears," she stuttered. Kitsune was staring blankly at the face of the man who had carried Lina over to the tree.

The first thing that caught Lina's eyes were the white dog-ears on the top of his head.

"Yeah, I have dog ears. So what," the man replied, crossing his arms across his chest.

_I'm dreaming, I am so totally dreaming right now!_ That was the only thing going off in Lina's head. She couldn't think of anything else. There wasn't another possible solution to what was happening. It had to be a dream.

"Lina? Kitsune? Are you guys alright?" Kagome asked, taking a step closer to the two girls on the ground. Her face was so sincere and confused.

_Why would she be confused?_ Lina asked herself. _If any of us should be confused it should be Kitsune and I,_ she added in her head.

"Yeah, we're just perfect. We just fell down a well and now we're having a crazy dream. It's nothing serious," Kitsune told Kagome, clearly being sarcastic.

"Dreaming? You think your dreaming?" the man with dog ears laughed.

Kitsune did not find this amusing, so she just stared at him.

"What?" he said, staring right back at her.

"Inuyasha, it's perfectly normal for them to think that they're dreaming. I thought the same thing the first time I fell down the well," Kagome explained. "But the thing that I don't get is how they got here. I mean they are just humans. They can't be reincarnations of anyone could they?" Kagome asked.

"They could be. You can never be too sure," the other man said. This man appeared normal for the most part. He had black hair with a little pony-tail in the back. He was wearing a traditional-looking robe and carried around a staff.

"Miroku is right. You can never be certain. I mean, you never knew that you were a reincarnation until you fell down the well," the other woman added. She wore a traditional kimono and had a giant boomerang on her back.

Kitsune shifted slightly next to Lina. They had no idea what these strangers were talking about. For all they knew they were still dreaming. _It's not unusual for me to have weird dreams. I get them almost every night. It's just a dream. It's not a big deal_ Lina told herself, beginning to panic.

"Someone pinch me," Kitsune blurted out. "I just want to wake up and go home," she added.

"Hey, does anyone know where Shippo went?" the one called Inuyasha asked, ignoring Kitsune altogether.

"I believe he went to go get Lady Kaede," Kagome replied, ignoring Kitsune as well. "Which was a good idea. Maybe Lady Kaede will be able to tell us if they are reincarnations or not."

"I say we make a run for it," Lina whispered to Kitsune. She was officially tired of all the talking and I just wanted to wake up or get home. Kitsune nodded in reply, and she started to stand up. "One, two, three," Lina mouthed, and at the same exact moment they started to run towards the well.

Kitsune had never been a fast runner, so the man with the dog ears quickly caught her. "Let me go!" she yelled as she kicked and squirmed. "I said let me go," she repeated.

Inuyasha put her over his shoulder and began the chase after Lina.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she screamed, running as fast as she could towards the well. Just before she was about to jump in, something grabbed the back of her shirt. The next thing she knew she was on the ground.

"Did you really think we were just going to let you go that easily?" the man with the pony-tail laughed. Lina could still hear Kitsune yelling and making a fuss.

"We're back!" a high-pitched voice called from behind all the commotion.

Lina turned around to see an old woman walking her way. Next to her was what looked like a little boy, but when he got closer, the girls saw he had a fox tail, fox feet, and pointy little ears.

Kitsune let out a gasp. "What's wrong with him?" she asked, looking away.

"This is just too much to take in," Lina said. "There's a guy with dog ears and a kid with a fox tail, fox feet, and elf ears," she added. At that moment she became dizzy.

"Uh, Miroku, you might want to help her," Kagome started, but it was too late. Lina was already on the ground, passed out.

It seemed to Lina like she was out of it for hours, but in reality she was really only gone for about five minutes. When she started to come around again, she didn't move or make a sound. She was hoping that she would wake up at the bottom of the well with Kitsune, and when they climbed out of the well everything would be back to normal.

"Is she going to be okay?" she heard a little kid's voice ask in concern.

_Well, there goes all my hopes and dreams of everything being normal. _


	2. Tag-Team

"She should be fine. I believe that the shock just got to her," a woman's voice stated, an older woman at that. Suddenly Lina felt something warm touch her butt. Whatever it was she didn't stop it; she was too focused on the moment.

"Well Lady Kaede, do they look familiar to you at all?" Kagome questioned. Her voice sounded eager and a little strained. Lina wondered how Kagome ever came to be in this strange world. She didn't know much about her to make any predictions.

"They do look like someone I've seen," the old women started. "Hmm, I just can't remember who it was though," she added.

Lina could feel the old lady's eyes boring into her face even though her eyes were closed. The warm thing that had rested itself on her butt began to move in a rubbing motion. It took her awhile, but she finally figured out what the thing on her butt was. Without thinking she threw herself off the ground and was on her feet.

She looked down to see who the pervert that was touching her while she was supposedly passed out was. It was the cute man who had stopped her from jumping in the well earlier. She remembered that the other girl beside of Kagome called him Miroku.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Lina yelled finally.

"I don't know what you mean," Miroku replied, playing dumb.

"Don't play stupid with me, you pervert," Lina snapped crossing her arms. She hated to admit it, but she felt a blush appear on her cheeks. Despite yelling, she didn't feel violated, she felt…complimented.

"Now I remember!" the old lady cried out startling Lina. This caught everyone's attention as they all turned to Lady Kaede. "They were demon slayers that were after Naraku. If I remember right, they once had an army of slayers on Naraku's trail. That's why Naraku killed them himself. He thought of them as a threat," Lady Kaede explained.

"Why were they after Naraku?" Inuyasha asked. Lina finally saw the first glimpse of her friend again as she noticed that Kitsune was still on his shoulder.

"Can you please put me down?" she whined. Her face was a little red and she had strings of hair streaming down to block her view. She felt like she was going to pass out from being upside-down for so long.

"If I put you down, you're going to try to run," Inuyasha replied. Kitsune sighed, but didn't deny it.

Lady Kaede cleared her throat before she answered Inuyasha's question. "They were after Naraku because he had destroyed their village, or something to that affect."

"That would explain why they were able to go through the well," Kagome stated.

"Do you think they can go through the well because they are supposed to help us?" the other woman asked Kagome. They were talking like Kitsune and Lina weren't even there.

"That could be a possibility," Miroku, the pervert replied, still sitting next to where Lina stood.

"Uh, hello! We're still here!" Lina yelled, waving her hands in the air. "And we do have a say in what we do," she added, walking over to Inuyasha. "Put Kitsune down," she demanded, tired of being ignored.

"Make me," Inuyasha stated. He seemed like the proud, arrogant type.

Lina sighed and crossed her arms across her chest, fed up with the weird dog-eared guy. "You think you can just throw us around like we're rag dolls, well you're wrong. We are living, breathing people and I demand that you put her down before I have to kick your ass," Lina told him with a straight face.

Inuyasha just laughed in reply.

"So you wanna be that way," she muttered. "Fine then."

"Uh, dog boy… I would listen to her. She's pretty mean when she's mad," Kitsune warned him, but he just laughed again.

Lina backed up slowly and put her arms down at her sides. "Put her down!" she screamed as she charged at him. The look on his face was priceless. It was like he never expected an 18 year old girl to react in that way. Within a second she had him on the ground, punching him.

"Did you see that!" the fox boy exclaimed. "She tackled Inuyasha with no trouble at all," he added.

Kitsune was free and could finally stand up and dust herself off. "Finally, I was getting tired of that," Kitsune sighed.

"Stop hitting me!" Inuyasha yelled in a surprised voice, throwing Lina off of him. She landed on Miroku and the fox boy.

"Will ye all stop it!" Lady Kaede demanded.

"This is getting us nowhere." Lina sighed as she got up off of Miroku.

"Well, you know what else isn't getting us anywhere?" Kitsune asked, walking next to her companion. "Not telling us what the hell is going on," she exclaimed.

"She's right," Kagome sighed. "We need to start explaining everything to them. And they have the right to decide whether or not they're going to help us," she added.

"Damn straight I'm right. Damn straight we have the right to decide," Kitsune said, getting really in to the moment as if it was a revolution.

Lina couldn't help but laugh at her under her breath. Sometimes she had to stop and wonder why she was even hanging out with her. But it always came down to, _she's your best friend and you act just like her._

"But where do we start? There's just too much to explain," the little fox boy stated.

"Maybe we can start with introductions?" Lina suggested. "It would be nice to know your names."

"Great idea," Kagome started, but was interrupted by Inuyasha.

"It's a stupid idea," he snorted.

"Well no one cares about what you think Inuyasha," the little boy laughed.

The dog-eared man didn't think it was very funny and walked over to the boy and hit him over the head with his fist.

"Kagome, InuYasha is being me to me!" the boy cried.

"Shut up Shippo!"

"Inuyasha stop it!" Kagome demanded.

"Maybe we don't have to introduce ourselves. Let's just keep yelling at each other long enough to figure everyone's names out," Kitsune stated, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, you guys seem to be good at that game," Lina added.

"It's all his fault!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing to Shippo.

"Nuh- huh," the boy replied sticking out his tongue.

"Oh my god," Kitsune and Lina sighed at the same time.

"Everyone be quiet and sit in a circle!" Lady Kaede yelled, slamming her foot down.

It was like dealing with babies! Lina understood the little boy acting that way; he looked like he was eight years old for crying out loud, but Inuyasha looked like a grown-up, and he was acting like a 2 year old.

"Fine," Inuyasha stated, sitting down.

Everyone else listened to the old woman, immediately getting in a circle formation.

"I believe the best way to start our story is with Inuyasha and Kikyo," Lady Kaede told them. "And I know Inuyasha doesn't like to talk about it, so Kagome would ye tell them?" Kagome looked a little startled and the look on her face turned from thoughtful to sad.

Pretty soon Kagome was done telling the girls about how Naraku had deceived both Kikyo and Inuyasha into hating each other, and that Naraku disguised himself like Inuyasha and killed Kikyo. _That's a great reason to hunt someone down and kill them_ Lina thought to herself.

"I would understand why you would want to kill him," Kitsune murmured, speaking what Lina had thought.

"Kagome dear, would ye like to also tell them about what happened to the Shikon Jewel?" the old women asked.

Kagome didn't hesitate on this request and she finished her story about how she ended up in this odd place. She also explained how the Shikon Jewel was shattered into a lot of smaller pieces that Naraku, the demon, was trying to collect.

"Why does a stupid jewel matter some much anyway?" Lina couldn't help but ask. It seemed so ridiculous that people would go to such lengths to get their hands on a jewel. Then Kagome explained to the girls about demons….

"There are half-demons, like Inuyasha, who are half-demon, half-human. And then you have your full-demons like Shippo." She explained matter-of-factly.

"That would explain a lot," Kitsune sighed, looking at Inuyasha's dog ears.

Then Kagome went on to explain that the Shikon Jewel makes demons stronger, and that was why the evil demon Naraku wanted it so badly. For a moment there was silence in the circle. There was just so much to take in. Everything made sense to the girls, but it didn't at the same time.

Lady Kaede began to speak again, "Miroku, I believe it's ye turn."

Miroku nodded in reply. He told the girls about how his family had been cursed for many generations. Naraku had given this curse to his great-grand father and it was passed down to every boy born into the family. The curse was called the wind tunnel and when used, it sucks up everything in its path to send it to hell.

"What's so bad about that?" Kitsune asked.

Miroku looked as if he expected a question like that. He told them that every time he uses his wind tunnel, the hole gets bigger, and the hole would soon be big enough to consume his whole body.

"Implode?" Lina asked quietly.

It seemed like the right word to use. Everything seemed to pause for a second; no one talked or moved. For the first time Lina noticed that the sun was setting down behind the trees that surrounded the group.

"Sango, ye story is the only one these girls haven't heard. Would ye like to explain why ye are after Naraku?" Lade Kaede asked.

"I'll tell them my story, but I think we need to start heading back to the village," she replied, standing up, breaking the circle.

"Back to the village?" Kitsune asked, confused. "If I'm not home soon, my mom is going to freak," she added. She couldn't imagine that her cell phone worked in this odd parallel world.

"Well, I'm sorry girls, but I don't think ye are going to be able to go home tonight," Lady Kaede told them. "There's just still too much to tell you."

Hostage was the first word that popped into Lina's mind. _We are being held hostage _she thought.

"It's okay. We're just going to finish telling you everything and then you'll be able to do whatever you want," Kagome explained seeing the looks on the girls' faces.

Lina took a deep breath in to calm herself down. "Okay," she said nodding to Kitsune. Lina secretly had a plan and she knew it was going to work.

Everyone stood up and started to walk down a path that lay surrounded by giant trees. It wasn't long before huts and people were visible.

The village looked exactly how Lina imagined a feudal village to look like. The huts were made of wood and weren't very big. Old and young people were walking about, staring at the two odd girls. What a strange sight they had to be with their school uniforms and modern hairstyles. At least they had Kagome to blend in with.

The group made it to Kaede's hut just as the sun disappeared.

"Perfect timing," Shippo sighed.

"Finally, I can get some sleep. It's been forever since we slept inside," Kagome said sitting down around a fire that Miroku had just made. "I am so tired," she added with a yawn.

"Maybe we should finish with the stories in the morning," Inuyasha suggested. Everyone else in the room nodded their heads in agreement.

Within moments everyone was settled into their places they were to sleep in. _In a couple hours Kitsune and I will be home in our own beds. We have to wait until everyone falls asleep and then make a break for it_ Lina thought, with a smile spreading across her face.

The hours seemed to pass slowly. She was getting anxious to leave and kept shifting around in her sleeping bag that Kagome had provided for two girls. It seemed like everyone was fast asleep, Kitsune included.

_Damn_ Lina sighed. _I guess I can leave and come back for her later. I mean these people don't seem like murderers_ she thought. She slowly got to her feet and made her way to the exit. Within seconds she was outside and on her way back to the well. She was just passing the last of the huts when something pushed her into a wall and pinned her there.

"Where do you think you're going, Lina?" She was so startled that she let out a small shriek. She looked up into the face of her pursuer.

"Miroku," she sighed in relief. "You scared the crap out of me," she added.

"You didn't answer my question, Lina," he stated, moving his face closer to hers. She could feel his breath against her skin. It felt nice and smelt nice as well; she couldn't help but take it in.

"I-I was just out for some air," she replied, shaking a little.

"You're a bad liar," he told her, brushing his finger against her cheek. She felt the blood rushing to where his fingers had once laid.

"And you know that how? You hardly know me," Lina stated, gaining her composure.

"Then why are you shaking?" he whispered into her ear. "And why is your heart racing?" he added, bringing himself closer. She immediately lowered her eyes so she didn't have to look him in the face.

"No answer?" Miroku asked, putting a finger under her chin. He began to lift her face up, but was interrupted by a shrill voice.

"Miroku? What are you doing?" the voice called from a distance. When Miroku heard this voice, he moved away from Lina and lowered his hand.

_Perfect! _she thought, running out of his reach.

"Lina!" Miroku yelled chasing after her.

It wasn't long before she was at the well. She was just about to jump into the dark hole in front of her, but something pushed her. She went flying hard into a tree. Her head was the first thing to hit the trunk. She felt something warm drip down the back of her skull.

"You're not getting away tonight," Inuyasha grumbled, standing over her body. He was the last thing she saw before she blacked out.

Lina woke up to the sun in her face. Her head ached with a pain that she didn't know was possible. She laid and listened to Inuyasha, Kagome, and Miroku's conversation.

"Inuyasha, did you have to be so rough on her?" Kagome asked, kneeling next to Lina.

"I would have caught up to her in time," Miroku stated. "I mean look at her, she looks so…broken." He let out a sigh.

"You weren't even halfway to her. When I got there she was about to jump in the well. If I let you retrieve her, she wouldn't be here right now," Inuyasha retorted.

"Are you alright, Lina?" Miroku asked concerned.

He saw that her eyes finally started to flutter open after being passed out throughout the night. "Lina?" he asked again when he didn't receive a response.

"What?" she whispered angrily.

"I knew you were trying escape," Miroku stated. He seemed almost proud of himself for figuring it out before anyone else did. She fought back a smile. _What an idiot. Of course I was trying to escape, but you were the dumb one to let down your guard_ she thought.

"Is she finally awake?" Kitsune asked.

"She just woke up about five minutes ago," Miroku told Kitsune.

"And I bet she's already thinking of another escape plan," Inuyasha interjected. "You should probably talk to her before she gets up and makes a run for it," he added.

Everyone began to walk out of the hut to allow the girls to talk. Kitsune noticed Miroku pause at the door-way for a moment and look back at Lina before he continued on his way out.

"Talk to me? Talk to me about what?" Lina asked with a confused look upon her face. Kitsune sighed, knowing her friend might not comply with what she had to say.

"This morning I listened to the rest of their stories," Kitsune told her, ignoring her question for now. "These people have been put through things that I can't even imagine, but they push forward not matter what," she added.

"I don't quite understand where you're going with this," Lina whispered.

"What I'm trying to say is that we need to stay here. We need to help them defeat Naraku. They need our help and I'm willing to give them it," Kitsune stated.

Without warning Lina grabbed her friend's face with both of her hands. "Kitsune, you can't be serious! Did they brainwash you or something?" she yelled. You could hear the desperation in her tone.

"I'm dead serious! I can't let them do this alone," Kitsune told her in a stern voice.

Lina's expression changed when she heard the seriousness of her friend's voice. It was a voice Kitsune hardly ever used.

"So you trust them that much?" she questioned.

Kitsune felt that everything the people she had just met said had a ring of truth to it. She had a feeling that this was their calling. This was something that they had to do…together. "I do, you're just worrying too much like usual. I know it's a lot to take in, but I promise there's nothing to worry about. You can trust me can't you?" Kitsune smiled.

Lina nodded in reply. "I guess we have unfinished business," Lina laughed.

"Really? You'll stay and help?" Kitsune asked excitedly.

"Of course I'm going to stay. Someone needs to keep an eye on you and I was born for the job," she laughed.

"Well get up lazy! Inuyasha says we need to get some training before we go looking for Naraku," Kitsune stated, putting her hand out as an offer to help Lina up. Her friend didn't seem very happy about the training part, but she knew it was necessary. They made their way outside to find that everyone was waiting around.

Kitsune and Lina walked over to Inuyasha. Lina could feel everyone's eyes on her and she immediately felt awkward. "Ummm, Inuyasha," she started, waiting for him to look at her. He didn't even glance down.

"Here, you guys are going to need these for training," he told them. In one swift movement he threw two wooden swords at the girls. They both caught them with ease.

"But… I haven't even told you if I was going to stay or not," Lina breathed.

Inuyasha finally looked at her for a really long time. "Do you really think that these ears are for show?" he asked sarcastically. "Well they're not, they actually can hear things. And I heard yours and Kitsune's whole conversation," he smiled. It wasn't the kind of smile people made when they were happy; this smile was more like a "Ha, I'm awesome," smile.

Lina looked down at the wooden sword then over to Kitsune. Kitsune was already messing around with hers as if it was a toy. She sliced the air a couple of times then she smiled at her raven-haired companion.

Are you ready to go down?" Kitsune asked Lina, holding her wooden sword out.

"If you're asking me if I'm ready to kick your ass, then yes. Yes, I am," Lina laughed, lifting up her sword as well. She was trying her hardest to keep her eyes focused on Kitsune, but somehow they found Miroku instead. He was talking to Sango.

"Lina pay attention!" Inuyasha yelled. "You guys can start whenever," he said in an authoritative voice.

Kitsune didn't wait one moment after Inuyasha spoke those words. She charged at her friend, swinging the wooden sword with surprising ease.

Lina dodged out of the way smiling to herself. It was as if they were little kids playing again, but this time they were more serious. Every time one missed the other, a stronger, more violent attacked followed.

After what seemed like hours of trying, neither Kitsune nor Lina could land a hit on each other. They either blocked the attacks or dodged them. Many people from the village gathered around to watch the two fight relentlessly. Lina even heard some people put down bets on who was going to win.

"Are you ready to give up yet?" Kitsune asked, swinging her sword towards Lina. Lina quickly jumped out of the way and swung hers back. Kitsune let out a grunt as she blocked it. They were both so exhausted. They had sweat running down their faces and it was getting harder to breath.

"You know how competitive I am," Lina stated with a smile. She had no plans to give up quickly.

The fight went on for another twenty minutes or so before Inuyasha stopped them. "Okay you two, I think it's time to move on," Inuyasha announced sounding bored.

They both let out sighs of relief. Kitsune put the fake, wooden sword on her shoulder and headed over to where Inuyasha stood.

"So how'd we do?" she asked. They both had some sense of pride in themselves.

"You did a lot better than I expected," Inuyasha noted. "You're still no better than rookies though," he grunted. Despite his attitude he seemed surprised by their hidden talents.

"It's like you guys were born for it," Miroku stated with a surprised expression on his face. He had walked over to watch the two battle.

"Well, what did you expect from a couple of reincarnated demon slayers?" Lina laughed, nudging Kitsune with her elbow.

"Okay, on to the next part of today's training," Inuyasha told them, taking the training swords from them.

"Now, what we're going to do is what I like to call 'tag-team'", Inuyasha said with a smile dancing on his lips. The smile actually seemed scary. The image of him pushing Lina into the tree kept replaying in her head.

"Sounds fun," Kitsune stated. "How do we play?" she asked, eager to get on with the so-called game.

"Two people start out, with hand to hand combat. Anything goes. Once someone feels like they can't fight anymore they run over to their team-mate and tag their hand. That means that person has to fight whoever the other player is. You can keep switching players until neither one can go on," Inuyasha laughed cracking his knuckles. "Get it?"

They both nodded.

"Good, Miroku is on my team. You two are on a team," he added.

"I'll go first," Kitsune said a little too cockily. She may not have been good at sports, but she had always wanted to try her hand in beating someone up. Now she finally had the chance.

Lina wasn't quite prepared to face Inuyasha anyways.

"Come at me, human," Inuyasha said, getting into a fighting stance.

Once more Kitsune didn't waste any time in charging at him. Lina was surprised to see her friend tackle him with such ease. Inuyasha let out a yell in his surprise, allowing Kitsune to take him down. Before Lina knew it, her short friend was pounding the half-demon's head into the ground. Lina wanted to laugh at the crazy sight, but suppressed it.

Inuyasha became enraged and kicked Kitsune off, into the air. Kitsune landed with a thud, but got right back up.

Before she could charge again, Inuyasha went and tapped Miroku's hand.

Miroku switched him spots, handing Inuyasha his staff. It seemed like no time before Kitsune already had the pervert in head lock. It seemed at first like neither male wanted to harm the amber-haired girl. It soon became obvious that they were just testing her.

Suddenly Miroku escaped her vice grip and began pushing and punching her. She looked a little confused by this; she thought that a guy would never hit a girl. After another push Kitsune had no more energy. She ran over and tagged Lina's hand.

"Ready to beg for mercy?" Lina questioned, walking over to the perverted man. He didn't answer; he just put his hand up in front of his chest. Lina put what happened between her and the monk behind her and ran at him. She quickly kicked Miroku's legs out from underneath him. He fell flat on his back with a shocked look on his face. He laid on the ground, silent for a moment or two.

"Oh did I hurt you?" she asked mockingly. "Please don't hurry to get up," she added, nudging him with her foot.

Miroku then grabbed one of her legs, pulling it, bringing her hard to her knees. He didn't even hesitate in punching her in the stomach. She let out a gasp, quickly taking in air.

_He was so worried about my well-being earlier and now he's beating the crap out of me _Lina thought. _So ironic_ she laughed in her head. After recovering from the blow at her stomach she took her elbow and swung it at his face. It hit right across his left cheek bone. She didn't wait to see his reaction before she intertwined her fingers to make a big fist. She bent her elbows and hit him as hard as she could in the back, bringing him to the ground.

Miroku let out a small yelp, and for a moment Lina felt sorry for him. She was out of breath after her attack and slowly walked back over to Kitsune to tag her hand.

"You have to be rough," Lina advised her friend. "That's the only way you're going to get anywhere."

Kitsune nodded with a determined look on her face. Miroku had made his way to Inuyasha and tagged him in. Inuyasha was the one to charge this time, unwilling to let a small human girl show him up. She waited, thinking of any wrestling move she could have ever seen on T.V. One finally popped into her head and when Inuyasha was the right distance from her, she quickly jabbed her arm out.

Inuyasha's face connected with the fist at the end. He fell on his knees and covered his face with his hand. "What the hell!?" he yelled out in pain.

"Pfffff, ah ha ha ha ha!" Lina laughed out. "You just got clothes-lined!" Lina laughed uncontrollably. Soon Kitsune was laughing too.

"What the hell, what the hell," Inuyasha kept saying over and over, his hand covering his sideways nose.

"I guess this means we win," Lina stated, wiping tears from the corner of her eyes. She was laughing so hard that she actually had started to cry.

Miroku had made his way over to the two. He was laughing as well.

"I guess so," Kitsune said, giving her partner a high five. "We kick ass," she smiled.

"That we do, my friend, that we do," Lina sighed with content.

Inuyasha finally got up off the ground and uncovered his face. His nose looked broken and red. The girls started to laugh again.

"Shut up! That was a cheap shot," Inuyasha yelled.

"Whatever, you're just mad because you guys lost," Lina announced, looking from Miroku to Inuyasha.

"Yeah, sore loser!" Kitsune giggled.

"Training is over for today," Inuyasha growled. "It's time for dinner."

Everyone made their way towards Lady Kaede's hut. Miroku walked right next to Lina the whole way. Every time she looked at him, he smiled at her with a brilliant white smile. She couldn't help but smile back. Partly because she was attracted to him, but partly because she was enjoying how she got back at him for what he had done last night.

When they arrived everyone was already gathered around a small fire.

"Hey guys. How was training?" Kagome asked, handing the girls their food.

Kitsune told everyone about the sword fight and explained how they kicked the men's asses in 'tag-team'. By the end of her story everyone was laughing. Well, almost everyone. Inuyasha didn't find the story very funny; though it looked like his nose was already healed.

"Wow, you two must really be reincarnations of demon slayers," Kagome sighed, after she was done laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever," Inuyasha snarled. "But we have bigger things to worry about. Like getting to bed so we can leave in the morning," he finished.

"What? We're leaving already?" Shippo asked.

"We need to start tracking Naraku again," he simply stated.

"But what about our training?" Lina asked, worryingly.

"We'll train while we travel," Inuyasha replied. "So everyone rest up," he added.

"Come on, Miroku. We should go gather supplies," Sango said, standing up. She held her hand out for him to take.

"Great idea," he replied, taking her hand.

She helped him up, but even after he was standing, he didn't let go of her hand. He smiled at Sango as they left the hut.

Lina was a little confused as to what she had seen. The little boy must have seen this. "They're together," he remarked, then went over to where he and Kagome slept.

"Together," Lina breathed.

She looked around and saw that everyone was already for bed. She slowly made her way over to where she slept next to Kitsune.

"Night, Lina," Kitsune said as Lina laid down next to her.

"Night," she replied. _So Miroku is a man whore_ she thought to herself closing her eyes. _But at least I know now_ she added in her head, yawning. The training must have taken a lot out of her because within minutes she was fast asleep.


	3. Koga of the Wolves

Lina woke up to the sounds of quiet arguing.

"What were you even trying to do? Seduce her Miroku? You're lack of respect for this relationship never ceases to amaze me," Sango's voice rang in Lina's ears.

"Sango, please; I was just distracting her so I could stop her. We might need them to help us. Why are we still arguing about this," Miroku sighed. He sounded exasperated as if they had already had the same argument many times before.

"I just don't like the way she looks at you; like you two are friends when you've only just met! I don't like the way you look at her either for that matter," Sango finished, the anger in her voice was almost tangible.

Lina had heard enough. She stood up to make her presence known. The arguing quickly stopped. She walked out of the hut, mindful of the sleeping others.

"Good morning Lina," Miroku stated smiling as he saw her.

She didn't answer, but glanced at him with a slight smile. "Good morning Sango," she stated.

Sango glanced up at her, but said nothing. She walked away instead in an angry huff.

"Why do you let her talk to you like that, you're a grown man," Lina stated glancing at Miroku. "I mean, it was pretty messed up of you to seduce me like that, but it's not like you did anything. You're just a flirty guy and that's fine where I'm from," Lina said thoughtfully.

Miroku sat with his mouth wide open, at a loss of words to say. No one had ever spoken to him in that way. He shut his mouth and looked into the distance after Sango; he had never thought about the way Sango spoke to him before. Before he could say anything to Lina he heard footsteps outside of the hut.

"Good morning you two," Kitsune stated suspiciously. She stretched and yawned as she soaked in the morning rays. Inuyasha and Kagome walked out after her.

"Kagome I have been thinking…I know I want to join you guys but I think we would feel much better if we could go back and tell our families where we were. Were you allowed to pass back through the well right away?" Kitsune asked looking at the younger girl.

"Um…I didn't leave for quite a while, but I'm sure you girls can go back through any time," she said in a thoughtful voice.

"Kagome, you and I will have to go with them to make sure they don't make a run for it," Inuyasha stated with his arms crossed.

"Inuyasha, I think you should give them a little more credit than that," Miroku stated as he stood up.

"Just trust us…we'll go and be back in less than an hour," Kitsune stated. She was more than ready to get home, even if just for a few minutes.

"Let's just get it over with. Don't worry. I won't run," Lina said walking off in the direction of the well. Kagome, Kitsune, Miroku, and Inuyasha quickly followed her.

"Something doesn't feel right," Kagome said looking over the edge. Inuyasha sniffed the air.

"I'll go first," Kitsune said jumping over the edge of the well. She didn't even think twice about what Kagome and Inuyasha were talking about. Lina heard as her friend hit the bottom of the dark hole.

"You alright down there?" Lina called.

"I think it's broken!" Kitsune called back.

Lina chuckled and jumped over the edge. Dust flew into the air as Lina hit the cold bottom. "Kagome…is there some secret word?" Lina asked stomping around in the dusty darkness.

"I don't know what's going on, honestly," Kagome said in a confused voice as she glanced over the edge.

Inuyasha lowered his hand down into the well to help the two girls out. "We're going to have to go back to the village to figure this out," Inuyasha said gruffly. He and Kagome turned to walk back, forcing the two to follow, leaving behind any chance they had of going home.

Kitsune sat with her head in her hands. There was nothing to do in this time period besides fight demons, talk about fighting demons, and think about the best way to fight demons. She couldn't listen to her music, she couldn't browse the internet, hell she couldn't even get five minutes of time to herself!

She let out a deep sigh. Even if she wanted to go home she couldn't because the portal was sealed. It was like it knew that they had some sort of destiny to fulfill and it wasn't going to let them leave until they did. Speaking of they, she had no idea where Lina had run off to and she was stuck sitting in a circle with Kagome, Inuyasha, and Shippo.

"Why is your name Kitsune if you're not a fox? My name should be Kitsune," the little fox-demon said almost possessively.

"My mom was a hippy and I was born with reddish-brown hair," Kitsune replied matter-of-factly.

Everyone had such history with each other in this time that Kitsune felt like a loner; she hardly fit in at her high school and definitely didn't fit in 600 years in the past. Finally she saw Lina walking towards her, followed by Miroku the handsy monk.

"Where the hell were you guys and why were you alone?" Inuyasha said jumping off of his seat around the campfire. It was getting close to dusk and the group had just finished eating dinner, if you could call it dinner.

The smoke from the fire kept the bugs at bay and saved Kitsune's moist skin from being eaten alive in the humid summer evening.

"I was simply showing Lina where we get our water supply and she offered to help," Miroku said calmly. He never seemed bothered by Inuyasha's bad attitude.

"Who are you to ask so accusingly anyway," Lina said with an attitude. "You're not our dad or anything," she said setting two buckets of water down.

"Hey just wait until Sango hears that you and the new girl were out doing who-knows-what in the sunset for half an hour," Inuyasha said smugly.

"Y-you wouldn't do that, that would be cruel, and I told you, we were getting water that's all!" Miroku said sounding like he was just caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Kitsune saw Lina's tough exterior crack for a brief second and a bright red blush flew to her cheeks. "You wouldn't do that Inuyasha because I know about you staring at Kitsune's butt the other day and I bet Kagome didn't hear about it," Lina snapped back.

Inuyasha's face turned bright red and his usually loud voice turned into a yell. "You just made that up!" he said pointing to Lina.

"It's fine if you look at Kitsune, Inuyasha, it's not like we are a couple," Kagome said in an ice-cold voice. This made Inuyasha shut up and walk off towards the trees.

"Ouch," Lina said looking over at Kitsune.

At least Lina was still exactly the same in the year 1400 as she was in the year 2000. Kitsune could always count on her friend keeping her sane and relatively normal.

Everyone began talking about other things to avoid the Inuyasha display that occurred.

"Lina, were you two really just getting water?" Kitsune asked giving her a judgmental look.

"I swear that's all we did! Well, and we talked and I guess flirted a bit," Lina said looking guilty.

"You know he has a relationship with Sango Lina, and she could kill you if she wanted to! I know he's cute, but watch yourself," Kitsune said. She was always the motherly one that tried to make the most sense out of things. Lina didn't say anything but Kitsune knew that she understood.

It's not like Kitsune could blame Lina or anything…Miroku was quite the looker. He had kind eyes, handsome features, and had a calming demeanor that Lina was probably attracted to. If Miroku could tame Inuyasha then he could definitely handle Lina…maybe.

Kitsune even thought that Inuyasha was attractive. He was strong, handsome, and had an f-you attitude that Kitsune had always found appealing. It was his present insecurities that made him seem more like a kid than a man to her though. _Nobody has that big of an attitude unless they're afraid of getting hurt_ Kitsune thought.

But she wasn't here to get with a hot half-demon guy, she was here to fulfil some unknown destiny of avenging the tragedy that was hers and Lina's past life.

When Lady Kaede told Kitsune and Lina of their past lives as demon slayers Kitsune hadn't been surprised. She had always known that they were different from everyone else at school. What she wasn't sure of was how on earth she was going to be of any help to the cause of finding the sacred jewel shards.

She was 18, 5'3, and had basically no athletic skills whatsoever. Lina was taller and much more athletic; Kitsune could see her being a warrior. At least Kitsune had her mental and emotional strength. If it weren't for the fact that classes were over for the summer she would be freaking out about missing school-work. School was her whole life.

"We have been here for three days guys. Why can't we leave to at least go get our stuff? I feel like I'm rotting in the same outfit" Kitsune asked.

"I was allowed to pass back through after I had killed my first demon. Maybe I just had to get back in touch with my past life for the portal to open?" Kagome thought aloud.

Kitsune wondered why Kagome kept coming back to the feudal era; maybe it was because of her moral duty, maybe she had an emotional connection to her past life, or maybe it was because of Inuyasha. Men could make you do crazy things.

"Maybe we should forget about getting your stuff for now and head towards the village you were from in the morning. You two might rekindle something from a past life and from what I have heard it is teeming with demons," Miroku suggested.

Just then Inuyasha came running back from wherever he went sulking to and stood in front of the sitting Kagome. His ears were back and his face was in a twisted snarl.

"What the hell's wrong with him?" Lina asked.

"He smells something," Shippo said running to Kagome's lap.

The wind began to blow and a whirlwind of leaves and dust appeared blocking Kitsune's vision. Suddenly there was a tall figure of a man standing in front of Inuyasha. He was slightly tan and had long black hair pulled into a ponytail. His eyes were blue and except for his old-timey armor and fur outfit he looked pretty normal.

Then Kitsune noticed his pointy ears and sharp teeth and nails.

"Hi Kagome," he said with a deep cockiness in his voice.

"Hi Koga," Kagome said with a friendly smile.

Inuyasha let out a growl. "What do you think you're doing here you smelly wolf?"

"I came to see Kagome, like always, and to see if you have found Naraku yet so I can finally kill him." Koga said smugly. "Speaking of smelly, what is that stench? I know you normally stink Inuyasha, but this is an all-time low," he said holding his hand over his nose.

"That's not me you idiot, it's those damn new-girls!" Inuyasha yelled pointing at Kitsune and Lina.

Kitsune looked over at Lina immediately to avoid Koga's questioning gaze. Lina was smelling her shirt out of confusion.

"Who are they and why the hell do they smell so bad?" Koga said, his voice muffled by his hand.

"Koga, this is Kitsune and Lina. They came from the future era like Kagome. They are reincarnated demon slayers and we think they are here to help us fight Naraku," Miroku said walking up to Koga.

"Naraku would be able to smell them twenty miles away," Koga said, his voice changing pitch as he plugged his nose.

"I didn't think we smell that bad!" Lina said defensively.

"I told you we should at least be able to change out of these dirty clothes," Kitsune whined embarrassed with herself.

"It's not a dirty smell, it's just the smell of your era. I'm used to it cuz I've been there so much and Kagome's smell eventually wore off," Inuyasha said matter-of-factly.

_It's probably the smell of gasoline, smog, and factories_ Kitsune thought to herself. She never realized that no one here would have ever smelled the smells of a metropolitan city.

Just then two men came running from the forest to the clearing where the group stood.

"Kogaaaaaa!" they both yelled as they reached the group.

They were wearing the same outfit that Koga had on and had the same pointy ears. With them was a pack of three or four large, gray wolves. The two men were out of breath and must have been running for quite some time.

Kitsune noticed that they were smaller in stature than Koga and not nearly as attractive. One had short black and gray hair and the other had a crazy mohawk.

"I'm Koga, of the wolf-demon tribe and this is Hakaku and Ginta," Koga said directed to Kitsune and Lina. "They are the ones that smell so bad," he said to his two henchmen who had already covered their noses.

"It's nice to meet you," they said smiling at the two girls. "Hi Kagome!" they said waving to Kagome who was still being guarded by Inuyasha.

Kitsune wondered what was going on between the three of them; did Koga have some romantic relationship with Kagome?

As if Lina heard Kitsune's thoughts she leaned into her friend and whispered, "Is there a love triangle here?"

Inuyasha's head snapped towards Lina and Kitsune. "There's no love triangle between me, Kagome, and Koga!" he stated furiously. "He just insists on bothering us to flirt with Kagome, interfere with our mission, and get his ass kicked; he's relentless," Inuyasha snarled at Koga.

Koga snarled back and put his fists up. "Do you want to try to kick my ass dog-boy?" he said tightening his body.

"Guys, guys we don't have to do this," Kagome said getting in between the two.

"You're right Kagome," Koga said taking her hand. Everyone watched as Kagome awkwardly pulled her hand out from Koga's.

"Shot down," Lina mumbled more quietly this time. Inuyasha must have heard it anyways because Kitsune saw a large smile spread across his face.

In order to avoid the awkwardness Kitsune looked down at the wolves that had followed Ginta and Hakaku in. Kitsune was planning on going to the university to study animals after she graduated that year and wolves were one of her favorites to study. These looked like normal grey wolves but had large curved canines poking out from under their lips.

"Oh my god, are those Ezo wolves?" Kitsune asked running over to the pack. She studied them closely scratching her head. "They have the wider, flatter cranium and their canines are unlike any other I've ever seen. They have to be the Ezo wolf, but they went extinct in the 1800s!" she said excitedly.

"Oh no…the geek is coming out," Lina said shaking her head at her friend.

"What the hell is she talking about?" Inuyasha asked looking over at Lina who just shrugged.

Kitsune looked up from the wolves and in an instant Koga had her hand in his. "You know about my wolves," he said gazing into her eyes. Kitsune snatched her hand away from Koga and walked away with an embarrassed look on her face.

"He sure bounces back fast," Sango said making the group chuckle.

"Well…since I came all the way here to discuss Naraku, I'm not leaving until we talk about these so-called demon slayers you have here; if they're anything like Kagome than maybe they're worth something." Koga said glaring over at Inuyasha. "But…I can't talk to them until they wash that stench off! Even my hand stinks now!" Koga said covering his nose with his other hand.

"There's a little spring we use for bathing and washing our clothes in. I'll show you," Kagome said grabbing hold of Kitsune and Lina. Kagome was a couple years younger than Lina and Kitsune, but she was very kind and open to them. Kitsune thought it probably had to do with the fact that they brought a little bit of her modern life back to the feudal era.

"I can go ask Lady Kaede if she has any clothes you two can borrow," Miroku said with a smile on his face.

"I don't think we will fit in anything her size," Lina pointed out.

"Good point…I will ask around the village then," he said changing his direction.

Kagome guided the two girls to a peaceful little spring hidden in some brush. The sun was setting and Kitsune could hear frog calls from the shallow parts of the spring.

"Don't worry, no one will come bother you. I'll bring you new clothes and some cloths to dry yourselves off with," Kagome said walking back out into the tall grass.

"I hope I don't get some sort of algae fungus in here," Lina said sticking her foot in the water.

"At least it's warm," Kitsune said having already walked in up to her calves. She was secretly afraid of frogs swimming up to her in the water, but the water on her legs made her feel too clean to care. The two walked all the way into the water in their clothes.

Once they were neck deep they removed their school uniforms and threw them onto a large nearby rock.

"I don't care if I get fungus, this feels amazing!" Lina said dunking her head all the way in.

Kitsune couldn't argue with her. Now that the sun was almost set she could see the full moon in the sky. Without all the buildings and air pollution she could see almost every star. It was never dark even in the deepest part of the night.

"So, Koga's pretty damn cute," Lina said out of nowhere.

"Cute…he's gorgeous!" Kitsune said thinking back to the wolf-demon.

"He's not hot like Miroku," Lina said thoughtfully.

"Psh, he's hotter than Miroku! At least he doesn't wear a dress," Kitsune said teasing.

"It's a robe and Koga wears a mini-skirt! That's way worse," Lina pointed out. After a second of silence the two began to laugh. They hadn't gotten to have alone time like this since they first arrived two nights ago. "I guess this era produced a lot of good-looking men," Lina said.

"I have been thinking the same thing!" Kitsune said giggling. Reincarnated demon slayers or not, they were still teenage girls.

"I wonder if Koga, Inuyasha, and Shippo can hear us with their crazy demon ears," Kitsune thought out loud.

"Only if they are a bunch of creeps waiting outside of the grass," Lina said. She was enjoying her time in the water, swimming around and frequently dunking her head under.

"It's not like they see modern 18 year olds all the time here, I wouldn't blame them," Kitsune said thoughtfully.

"You better start actually washing instead of thinking before you turn into a prune," Lina pointed out.

Kitsune dunked her head into the water and when she emerged the breeze felt chilly. There was nothing left to do but wait for Kagome to bring something to wear.

"I wonder what tomorrow's going to be like," Lina said looking up at the sky. "Well, I imagine we will be walking a lot," Kitsune said sarcastically.

"Good thing we wore our walking shoes," Lina said equally as sarcastic.

The weeds began to rustle and the girls heard a small voice.

"It's just me," Kagome said wrestling her way through the brush. She was holding a pile of cloths and two heavy-looking kimonos. "I'll set these by the rocks so you can dry off. These kimonos were all we could find, but they're all yours," she said smiling.

"Thanks Kagome!" they said in tandem.

"What a sweet girl, I don't remember seeing her around in school ever," Kitsune said thoughtfully.

"Probably because she's here so much, duh. I heard a rumor once that she died," Lina said making Kitsune giggle. "Well let's put on our new clothes; maybe now Koga won't think you stink so much," Lina said swimming to the water's edge.

"Me? I bet you're the stinky one!" Kitsune said splashing water at Lina. Lina replied back with a wave of water splashing Kitsune in the face. The two began laughing and splashing each other repeatedly. The weeds began to rustle again.

"Don't worry you can come over, we won't splash you," Kitsune yelled thinking it was Kagome again.

The weeds split and the perverted monk's face appeared in the clearing. He was looking at the girls in the same way a hungry wolf looks at a couple of sheep.

Kitsune immediately ducked her head deeper into the water, not sure of how much of her Miroku had seen. Lina on the other hand was enraged. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?" she yelled unleashing a tidal wave towards Miroku.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I just wanted to see if the kimonos fit, and I found them you know!" Miroku yelled back sounding anything but sincere. Lina stopped when she had splashed so much water out of the spring that she had to dip in lower to not show him any part of her.

The monk ran off completely soaked from head to toe.

"I think you got him," Kitsune said chuckling.

"Let's just get out of here," Lina mumbled pulling a cloth off the rock. They dried off and put the new kimonos on.

Kitsune admired how good Lina looked in hers. It seemed to fit her so well, like she belonged in this era. Kitsune just felt awkward and too free in hers. When they got back to the group the sun was completely down and the glow from the fire revealed everyone's faces.

Koga sniffed the air. "That's a little better at least," he said crossing his arms. "In the morning I'll send Ginta and Hakaku back to the tribe and I'll continue on to this village with you. If there's a lead to finding Naraku I want in on it. It's too late to talk though, and there's no way I'm sleeping in the same camp with Inuyasha. We'll leave early. Goodnihgt Kagome," Koga stated standing up. He ran off before anyone could argue anything, leaving Hakaku and Ginta chasing after him.

"How the hell'd we get stuck with that guy?" Inuyasha said in a low growl.

"He's right though. We should leave early," Miroku said calmly.

Everyone agreed that it was time to go to sleep but Kitsune lied awake for most of the night thinking about the next day to come. She finally heard Lina's breathing become regular and knew that she had fallen asleep. She was then able to close her eyes and drift off peacefully.


	4. The Past Revealed

For hours the next day all they did was walk. Lina knew that someone had invented the wheel by then, why the hell wasn't Inuyasha pulling them in some kind of cart? And why weren't they all flying Kirara? Was it because it was only Sango's pet or would they all not fit on her? She thought all of this while staring at the ground that seemed endless.

She kept kicking little rocks with the tip of her shoes and watched them go flying in front of her, just to be kicked again. Kitsune kept looking back questioningly. It wasn't like Lina was tired, she was just taking up the rear to watch everyone else. It at least gave her something to do.

Koga was complaining that the group was walking too slowly for the tenth time in a row.

"You don't have to walk with us, just run ahead or shut up!" Inuyasha snapped back.

"No way mutt, you're just telling me that so I leave and when I'm gone you'll figure out something I don't know. I'm not falling for that again," Koga growled back.

Lina let out a deep sigh. She didn't know what was more annoying, listening to them argue or having to watch Sango and Miroku walk side-by-side the whole time. She knew she could walk in front of them and not have to see it, but seeing it made her too upset to walk faster. She also knew that she didn't know Miroku enough to be jealous, but how was she supposed to get to know him if he had this Sango-tumor attached to him all the time.

Miroku glanced back at her and caught her gaze as if he knew what she was thinking. _Shit_ Lina thought as she quickly looked at the trees next to her.

She thought about yesterday when her and Miroku went to get water for the group. She only offered to go with him because she wanted to talk to him about the first night they had met. She never got the chance to talk about it nor did she get the chance to ask if he and Sango were together. Instead he just talked about their past adventures and how he met Inuyasha.

Lina just listened and laughed like a good girl. What she really wanted to say was "Hey, why the hell do you keep trying to seduce me if you are together with Sango?"

Actions spoke louder than words though and she could definitely tell by the way that they were walking together that they were an item, plus Shippo had told her.

The sun was high above the tree line by the time they reached the village. It wasn't a village however; it was a castle. The group had been misinformed; Lina and Kitsune had not been simple demon slayers from a small village…they were demon slayers for the elite.

Lina looked up at the menacing walls that towered over the group. There was definitely something off about this place. She could almost feel the evil vibrate through the air. Lina looked over at Kitsune nervously. She wondered if her friend could sense it as well.

The look on Kitsune's face should have said it all. Her brow dipped down in concern as she eyed her surroundings. How could this be the castle that Lina and her called home in their past lives? She found herself wishing that it was a lot more regal and magical looking. But instead an abandoned ruin stood before them.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Kitsune finally asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Lina sighed turning towards Inuyasha.

The dog-demon didn't look too thrilled to be there either, which didn't make the two girls feel any safer. The rest of the group seemed to be just as unsettled.

"There is a strong evil presence here, but it's not Naraku," Koga growled.

"Damn, I thought we would find him here for sure," Inuyasha cursed.

"So does that mean we can leave then?" Kitsune asked hopeful that the answer would be a "yes".

Inuyasha didn't hesitate, "No, there still might be something here that will tell us where to go next."

_Shit, I was hoping he wouldn't say that._ Lina clenched her jaw tight. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face any demons. Sure Inuyasha was part demon, but that also meant that he was part human. Of course Shippo was full demon, but he was also just a child. Kirara was just a glorified house cat. And then there was Koga...Lina hadn't really thought about the fact that Koga was a demon. He looked so normal if you ignored the fact that he had pointy elf like ears and a wolf tail.

Yes, she could handle coming face to face with demons as long as they weren't trying to eat her. And Lina had a feeling that they were going to run into some not so friendly things inside those castle walls.

"Well, let's get a move on then. Standing here looking at the gates is not helping our cause," Miroku stated.

Koga nodded eagerly.

Kitsune wondered what Naraku could have ever done to this wolf-demon to make him so anxious to kill him She decided she was going to ask Kagome when the time was right. Right now Kitsune had to focus on the task at hand: killing a demon so the portal would open again.

She couldn't stand not wearing her own clothes. The kimono was definitely not her style, and was definitely not a suitable demon slaying outfit. Despite the problems at hand, Kitsune definitely had no intention on bailing on this journey. Lina and her had a destiny to fulfill here. This was something she just couldn't let go.

Without another word, Inuyasha unsheathed his sword. When he did, the old, worn blade tripled in size. The transformation was so incredible that Kitsune wouldn't have believed it to be the same sword if she hadn't just witnessed it.

"Sweet!" Lina squealed. "I wanna weapon just like that one," she added.

Kitsune was just about to agree when they heard a shrill scream coming from inside of the castle.

Miroku grabbed onto the prayer beads that held the wind tunnel closed in response. At that same moment Shippo jumped onto the monks shoulder. Koga let out a low growl while Sango and Kagome both drew their weapons.

All Kitsune and Lina could do was stare at each other in horror. Even after the scream ended it still hung in the air, chilling Lina to the bone leaving her with goose bumps.

Without warning Miroku and Inuyasha charged the castle's gates and ran into the court-yard. Lina's heart sank as she watched the handsome monk disappear behind the cold, washed-out stone that laid between the forest and the spooky structure that she used to call home. Before she could rethink her decision, she grabbed Kitsune by the hand and ran after him. Kitsune let out a small yelp, but didn't fight her friend as they rushed into the wide opening.

The wind picked up considerably and the sun was blocked out by dark, heavy clouds.

"What the hell?" Koga stated, looking up at the almost purple sky.

"This isn't good," Kagome whispered, the wind making it difficult to hear her.

Lightning flashed across the sky and illuminated the area surrounding the mismatched group. Lina let out a horrified gasp as she stared at what seemed to be a hundred bodies spread out before her. How could they not notice the instant they ran through those gates? It should have been impossible to overlook such a tragedy.

Kistune tightened her grip on Lina's hand as she eyed the bloody scene. "Who could have done this?" she questioned, her voice cracking in the middle of the sentence. If the situation wasn't bad enough she spotted tiny bodies among the wreckage; children.

"Who, or whatever did this is going to pay!" Inuyasha yelled, clenching his sword with both hands. Laughter echoed throughout the air. Everyone whipped their heads around trying to find the source of the sound. The only thing Lina could spot was a couple of blood red eyes peering from the edge of the court yard.

"And who's going to make me pay? You, Inuyasha? Don't make me laugh," a seductive, but evil laced voice called out.

"Kagura," Miroku stated from under his breath. That name rang a bell. Where had the two girls heard it before? It was nearly impossible for Lina to remember.

Kitsune leaned towards her friend, "One of Naraku's minions," she whispered, knowing exactly what Lina was thinking.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you expecting someone else?" The red eyes came closer until the owner was completely visible. The person that stood before the group wasn't what Kitsune and Lina were expecting at all. The woman was about 5' 5'' in height with black hair pulled into a high pony tail with a feather stuck in it. She wore a kimono and held a fan in her left hand. In all reality she was beautiful, but her eyes were so cold and emotionless. They scanned each person, not looking impressed. It was hard to believe that this was the one responsible for all the bodies that lay around them. She was only one person, and there were so many bodies.

"I see you recruited a couple more morons to add you in your useless endeavor," she smiled, looking over Lina and Kitsune once again.

"You did this?" Lina asked, ignoring the moron comment. Kagura's smile didn't waver as she nodded her head. "You're a monster!" Lina yelled, taking a step forward.

"Be careful," Kistune warned. She understood her friend's anger, but she wasn't about to let it get the best of her. There was something going on that they didn't really understand. Kagura had just murdered all these people. By herself. She had to be stronger than she looked.

"That was probably the nicest compliment anyone has ever given me," Kagura replied. "Kagura, stop with the idle chat. What are you doing here?" Inyuasha demanded.

"Do I really need an excuse to come see you, Inuyasha," she grinned. "But if you must know, I was sent to give your new friends a respectable welcoming." Kagura opened her fan in one fluid movement.

The events that followed, Lina still didn't really understand. It all happened so quickly. Kagura waved her fan and the wind picked up in speed and strength. The hurricane-like winds surrounded everything in sight. The already crumbling castle, collapsed a little more.

"What the hell is going on?" Kitsune screamed over the already howling wind.

Lina was about to answer her friend when a piece of debris slammed into the side of her leg. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Lina gasped as the air was knocked out of her lungs. The impact of the wind made it almost impossible for her to get back up.

"Kitsune!" Lina cried. She frantically looked around her, but it was no use. She could hardly see five inches in front of her face. Finally she pulled herself back into a standing position.

"Kitsune!" Lina called out again, desperately looking for her friend. A shadow appeared to her left and without hesitation she made way towards it. "Kitsune! Answer me damn it!" she screamed, as she reached for the shadowy figure.

Kitsune could barely make out what the voice was saying through the wind. The noise was muffled and sounded worlds away. She had lost sight of Lina as soon as this tornado started. Kitsune tried to walk towards the sound, but it was hard to tell which direction it was coming from. All she could think about was finding Lina, or anyone for that matter.

Lina had finally gotten close enough to tell who she was reaching for. Miroku stood in front of her, holding a hand over his eyes. He looked just as lost as she probably did.

"Lina, thank Buddha you're alright," Miroku called when she appeared. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and continued to cover his eyes with his other arm.

"Miroku, what is going on?" Lina asked, putting her mouth next to his ear so he could hear her over the raging wind.

"Kagura's demon magic," he replied tightening his grip on her. "It's okay, I've got you now," Miroku added.

A few moments later the wind began to die down. "You all are so pathetic," Kagura's voice rang from above. She was now hovering over them on a giant feather. "You aren't even worth my time, but there is time for one more dance."

"WINDSCAR!" Inuyasha bellowed interrupting Kagura. He sliced the air downward with his sword. The blade seemed to cut through the sky straight for the floating feather. The powerful energy landed right where the flying device was, but somehow Kagura avoided the attack completely.

"Dance of the dead," was the last thing Naraku's minion said before she flew off in the distance.

"What does that mean?" Lina asked the monk.

"It means that we're in a lot of trouble," Miroku replied with a grim look up on his face. "Stay close to me," he added, taking his staff in both hands.

Just seconds later a horror movie scene laid out before them; the dead bodies started to come back to life. One by one they stood back up on their two feet. But this was no miracle; they had just been turned into the walking dead; zombies. And their instinct was to kill.

Soon there was dozens of the undead upon them. Lina saw that Kitsune was surrounded by five of the horrible creatures. Not even considering listening to Miroku's advice, she started fighting her way towards her fiery haired friend. She was hoping that these were the same kind of Zombies that she had seen on TV because she was focusing on damaging their heads. Her knuckles where bleeding and she was only half-way to Kitsune.

Kitsune was surprised at how well she was handling herself considering everything that had just happened in the last fifteen minutes. She had just survived a hurricane, now she was trying to survive against an attack of Zombies. This is where her training with Inuyasha and Miroku really kicked in. Kitsune had no trouble dodging the sluggish attacks the undead were throwing at her. That was until one got lucky and knocked her down.

"Kitsune, nooo!" Lina screamed as she watched the whole scene in what felt like slow motion. There was no way she would reach her in time.

Koga had also been watching Kitsune, and let out a growl as he rushed towards her with his super speed. In no time at all he cleared out the area around her of Zombies.

_She's safe _Lina and Koga thought as he picked Kitsune off the ground.

Kitsune looked up into her rescuer's eyes hoping he could see how thankful she was. He sat her down on her feet again with a look on his face that said "be more careful next time". The moment only lasted for a second and as Kitsune looked back down she saw a zombie inches behind Lina. The woman's mouth was agape and her dirty fingers were extremely close to gripping the corner of Lina's Kimono.

"Lina, behind you!" Kitsune screamed just in time.

Koga took his sword that he never used from his belt and tossed it to Lina. Lina dodged the beastly creature and grabbed the sword. In one fluid motion she removed the sword from its sheath, spun around, and sliced the zombie's head off with one, clean cut.

The head didn't dramatically slide off like Lina had seen in the movies; it just rolled off with the body slumping into a lifeless pile. Lina had to admit that it felt good; not that she wanted to kill people or anything, but the way she saw it was she was helping to put these people to their final resting place.

A small scream that sounded like Kagome's caused Koga to run off, leaving Kitsune unprotected. She was exhausted and not being of much help so she sat down. Lina was busy slicing heads off like a pro, giving Kitsune the chance to look around.

Sango was bashing zombie after zombie with her giant boomerang, Inuyasha was slicing them with his claws, and Miroku was fighting them off with his staff. Even Kirara was fighting, gnashing her teeth at the undead and swinging her large head around.

"Kitsune pay attention!" Lina yelled.

Kitsune turned around to see a little boy, possibly only 5 years old. He wasn't a boy anymore though, his eyes were white and his skin was a dark shade of purple. Kitsune could see that he wanted to kill her, but he was just so little she couldn't bring herself to do anything.

"Kitsune!" Lina yelled. She knew her friend had a big heart, but she needed to finally get a taste of what they were in for on this adventure.

Hearing Lina yell at her snapped Kitsune out of the haze her mind was in. _That is a little boy…a poor little boy whose soul needs to be set free!_ Kitsune thought to herself. She looked around and saw a large rock on the ground. She grabbed it and with all of her strength, lunged herself at the boy, bashing his head to the ground. With one more hit to his head, she knew that he was dead.

After she killed him it seemed as if the scene had finally grown completely silent. Lina ran over and helped her friend up.

"We need to get you a weapon," Lina said, making Kitsune drop the rock that she clutched so tightly to. Kitsune mustered up a smile receiving one back from Lina. They each knew that the other one was fine.

"We need to bury these bodies properly so that they can finally rest in peace," Miroku stated looking at the slaughter-house that laid before him. "We can put them in a couple mass graves…at least all the pieces of them that is," he stated glancing at Lina's handy sword-work.

Koga scoffed. "We don't have time for that, let's follow that bitch while her scent is still clear," Koga demanded.

"We can't act like monsters about this! If we do not allow these innocent people to have peace then we are no better than Kagura!" Miroku snapped back.

"He's right," Inuyasha stated quietly. He began to dig with his sharp claws and was eventually followed by an embarrassed looking Koga.

Just then Miroku's head shot up as he sensed something. "I sense a spirit here…you guys keep digging, I'll be back," Miroku said walking off. Lina, of course, couldn't let him go alone and in curiosity followed him, dragging Kitsune along.

Miroku sensed the two girls' presence and was glad that they followed. He had a hunch that this spirit had something to do with them. "There has to be a shrine around here," Miroku said as they wondered around the castle ruins. Now that there were no demons or dead bodies they all could finally see how this place was once beautiful.

"Um…would we be looking for a shrine with a little ghost man coming out of it?" Lina asked interrupting the deep silence.

"Yes," Miroku answered.

"Oh then I see it," Lina said pointing down an outside corridor that used to be a garden. They ran to the shrine and Kitsune could see what Lina was talking about.

Under what used to be an elaborate shrine was a small white spirit of an old man. Miroku sat down crossed legged in front of the spirit. The girls followed his every move. It wasn't every day that they saw a ghost.

"May we have a word with you old man," Miroku said with a kind smile on his face.

"What do you think I'm here for?" The old spirit snapped back. Clearly the afterlife had not been good for his attitude. "Yuuko, Naoko, I have been waiting for you for ages," he said sounding kinder this time.

"M-my name is Kitsune and this is Lina," Kitsune said nervously. The ghost shook his head.

"No, no you are Naoko," he said pointing to Kitsune, "and you, my dear, are Yuuko," he said pointing to Lina.

"Can you tell us everything you know about our past lives?" Lina asked sweetly.

"Well…I guess that would be a good place to start. I worked for the ruler of the castle for 72 years as his head servant. The ruler of this castle was a kind and good one…but he had a demon problem. He heard of a family of demon slayers to the east and sent gifts in order for the family to send us their strongest warrior. To master's surprise, Yuuko arrived in the next few days. You were so young, but so strong. Master was worried one small girl wouldn't be enough, so he sent gifts to another family to the north. We were all shocked when Naoko arrived. Your family said you were the most virtuous of them all. Master paid the girls handsomely and allowed them to stay here in exchange for ridding the castle of demons. The girls became fast, close friends and I watched them grow to be fine demon slayers. Master even bought them specially designed weapons. Yuuko had Raitou specially made for her and Naoko was given the honor of wielding Kensaki no Muchi. I don't know why I'm telling you, you should know all of this! Well anyway, life was truly good until that bastard Naraku ruined everything! He had heard of their strength from his other demons. A fight ensued between the girls and Naraku for almost 24 straight hours. They had weakened him, but not enough. He proved to be too much of a match for the two young girls and he killed them in cold blood."

"Just killing them wasn't enough for that monster. He used the jewel shards to bring them back to life to be used as pawns, puppets in his own evil doings. From what I had heard, the strength of the sacred jewel shards allowed the girls to kill massive amounts of demons for Naraku. But once he got injured and needed the shards back he took them from Yuuko and Naoko, finally allowing their bodies to disintegrate. I knew that you two would eventually come back for vengeance. The pain he caused this castle was catastrophic; without you two, demons relentlessly attacked us and the pain Master had from losing you was too great. He sent out search parties but all we could find were your weapons. We brought them back and gave them a proper burial. It is so good to see you girls. You are just as beautiful as ever. Something about you has changed though…..you look…softer. It brings me such peace," the old man said.

Upon finishing his story, his spirit began to grow more translucent and within a matter of seconds he was gone.

"Be at peace old man," Miroku stated placing a peace charm on the shrine. Lina's whole demeanor had changed throughout the old man's story. She now had a better understanding of her goal in this feudal era and she had to admit that she felt sad. Sad for her old home and sad for her old self, but she was angry as well. Angry that a beast like Naraku has been getting away with his wrongdoings for so long. She clenched her fists in rage. She glanced at her friend and saw small tear stains on her cheeks. Seeing her raw emotion calmed Lina down a bit. Miroku placed his hand on Lina's thigh, seeing her angered look.

"Naraku has ruined many lives, this was just more of a reason we needed to defeat him," Miroku stated looking at the shrine.

"We may not have been able to defeat him before, but we have help now. We will kill Naraku," Kitsune said, half to Lina and half to herself.

"Guys, where the heck are you!? We're done!" the group heard Inuyasha yell. They gathered themselves off of the ground and made it back to the castle courtyard. There were only four large mounds for all of the villagers.

"It was the least we could do," Miroku stated solemnly. Miroku proceeded to place peace charms on each mass-grave site. "It's a good thing I brought plenty of these," he said to himself.

"Hey guys! Look what we found while digging," Shippo called out in a joyful voice. Lina looked up to see Shippo running around with a plain black whip, tossing it back and forth. Kagome was holding a dirty looking sword that she had dug up from the ground. Lina looked over at Kitsune who was already running to her weapon.

"Shippo, I think that's my weapon, Kensaki no Mushi," Kitsune said looking at the thin, weathered whip. _If that is my weapon I feel ripped off_ Kitsune thought to herself.

"Really? But it's so plain it looks more like a toy," Shippo said not happy to have to give it up.

"Lina, does that mean this is your sword?" Kagome said holding out the sword.

"Psh, what are you going to do? Hit Naraku repeatedly in the head with a rusty blade while Kitsune ties an old whip around his neck?" Koga said smirking.

"Yea, I thought you two were demon slayers, not little kids," Inuyasha said laughing. It was the first time him and Koga agreed on something, unless you count them both loving Kagome.

"What's your sword called, let me guess, Kuso no Tsurugi (Sword of Poop)?" Koga asked holding his sides. This sent him and Inuyasha flying into a rabid fit of laughter.

"Idiots," Shippo murmured.

Lina's eye twitched in irritation. She grabbed the sword from Kagome in attempts to beat the two idiots to death with the blunt, rusty blade. Instead, when she grabbed the hilt she felt it pulse in her hands. The thin blade thickened into a beautifully sharp blade and a yellow aura began pulsating around it. It mesmerized Lina and immediately changed the looks on Inuyasha and Koga's faces. This is Raitou, I don't think you three have made a proper acquaintance yet," Lina said taking a step towards Inuyasha and Koga.

"Psh, so what, your sword looks cooler now, big deal," Inuyasha said. He tried to sound tough but Lina could hear his voice waver. She smirked and wielded her sword towards Inuyasha's direction.

No one expected it, but a bright yellow stream of electrical energy blasted out of the tip of the sword and headed straight for Inuyasha. He barely dodged the strike, but Lina could see a piece of his hair was singed off.

"Didn't know _that_ was going to happen," Lina said staring at her weapon.

"How DARE you use your weapon on me when you don't even know how it works!?" Inuyasha yelled with his hands balled up in fists, making Lina laugh.

"Aren't you going to pick yours up Kitsune," Lina asked ignoring Inuyasha's displays.

"I don't know…what if it doesn't work?" Kitsune said sounding unsure.

"You'll never know unless you try," Kagome said picking up the whip.

Kitsune took it lightly from Kagome's hand and it instantly began to vibrate. Beginning from the handle and extending all the way to the tip, the whip began to transform. It became larger, longer, and covered in tiny spikes. It looked like it should be too heavy to hold, but to Kitsune's surprise, it felt light in her hands.

"Remind me to never make you angry," Miroku said with a smile on his face. After fooling around with their weapons for a little while the group snooped around for more clues as to Naraku's whereabouts.

"I can't smell anything besides death," Koga said covering his nose.

"Naraku must have sent Kagura to distract us so that they would never find their weapons," Inuyasha said.

"Or find out about their past lives," Miroku said. Sango looked at Miroku curiously.

"When did you find out about their past lives?" she asked quizzically. Miroku proceeded to inform the whole group of their experience with the spirit.

"Good…now we know something Naraku obviously didn't want us to know," Inuyasha said in a low growl.

"Inuyasha! The Bone Eater's well…I feel it," Kagome said interrupting everyone's search.

Kitsune looked over at Kagome with wide eyes. _Does this mean we can finally go home?_ she thought excitedly to herself.

"Please Inuyasha can we go!?" Kitsune said jumping up. "We will be much more prepared to defeat Naraku and we can stay for much longer, I promise," Kitsune pleaded.

Inuyasha scoffed at her but couldn't say no. "We will just have to gather our clues when we get to the well. Then we will go from there," Inuyasha said taking the lead.

As if their weapons knew they weren't needed anymore, they reverted to their previous condition. "How cool," Lina said with a big smile on her face. She was too in love with her new weapon to even care that they had a long trip back in store for them.


	5. Don't Go Alone

By the time the group returned to the well everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. The only audible sounds were cricket chirps and the yawns of the tired travelers.

"Are you sure you two don't want to wait until the morning; it is just so late," Miroku said yawning yet again.

"We're night owls Miroku," Kitsune said. She wanted to get home now more than ever.

"Aren't you coming with us Kagome?" Lina asked as her and Kitsune prepared to jump into the glowing well.

"I guess I could say hi to everyone, sure I'll come," Kagome said stepping over the edge.

Everyone waved goodbye and the girls jumped down deep into the never ending well.

"And just like that I'm left with mutt-face, and all the cute girls are gone," Koga said walking off to the campsite they had previously used.

"We need to put some stairs in the bottom of here," Kitsune grumbled as she tried for the tenth time to jump out of the well.

"You just need longer legs!" Lina called helping her friend out. "So we will meet you back here in a couple hours?" the girls asked Kagome.

"Oh take all the time you need…this is my house after all," Kagome said pointing to the house next the shrine the well was located in.

The girls first decided to go to Lina's house because it was closest. "Let's hope my mom is fast asleep," Lina said quietly unlocking her door. All the lights in the house were off and her mom's door was shut tight. Lina immediately began throwing her stuff in a back pack. She stuffed ten pairs of underwear, two shirts, and a couple pairs of shorts deep into the bag. She also put in her favorite hair-bow and a book she was currently reading.

"Don't forget your bathing suit," Kitsune pointed out.

Even with all of her stuff in it, the backpack was barely full. "We will just use the one backpack for both of our stuff and we'll take turns carrying it," Lina said as she zipped it up.

She looked around for something to change into. She loved how the kimono looked and felt on her, but it was a little blah for her taste. She got an idea and opened her closet to reveal a beautiful kimono hanging up.

"The kimono your grandma got you!" Kitsune said excitedly.

Lina changed into the soft pink and red kimono that she had always wanted to wear but never got the chance.

"It suits you so perfectly," Kitsune said smiling.

Once she was ready Lina grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. On it she wrote:

Mom,

Joined a gang with Kitsune for the summer. Don't worry, we are fine. Can't call; no cell phones allowed. I am sorry; we have to do this. Don't be upset, this is for the best; promise.

Love You,

Lina

She placed the letter on her refrigerator and the two slunk back out into the night for Kitsune's house. Kitsune carefully walked into her door only to see that her dogs were the only ones home. Her brother and her mom were both out. _At 1 a.m., what kind of party animals do I live with?_ she thought to herself shaking her head. At least they didn't have to whisper. She ran into her room and grabbed the same necessities as Lina.

Kitsune changed into long khaki shorts and a red t-shirt. She also grabbed a tooth brush and an extra one for Lina who forgot hers. She grabbed a bar of soap and two wash cloths as well. Just because they were in the feudal era didn't mean they had to smell like it. She then wrote the same note that Lina wrote except changed the word "gang" to the word "club". On their way out of the door Kitsune saw her dog chewing on a ball and it reminded her of Inuyasha.

"We should bring everyone back something," Lina said reading Kitsune's mind.

They grabbed a lollipop for Shippo, a ball for Inuyasha, and a squeaky toy for Koga. Lina snickered as she packed a small box of tampons to give to Sango.

"Now what should we get for Miroku?" Lina thought out loud.

"Oh!" Kitsune shouted running into her brother's room. She reached under the bed and found a small box filled with pornographic magazines.

"I really don't want to know how you knew those were there," Lina said in disgust. Kitsune grabbed one and shoved it in the backpack. Lina had to admit…it was the perfect gift for the perverted monk.

They finally made it back to the well to see Kagome sitting on the edge. "What took you guys so long?" she said in a teasing tone.

"Well, we're ready now," Lina said with a big smile on her face.

"Let's go," Kitsune added. The three of them jumped into the Bone Eater's well, back into the feudal era with a certain eagerness that only comes with excitement.

When the girls returned the only thing they could think of was sleep. They made their way back to the campsite in silence. Everyone was lounging around a fire that was barely still burning.

"You guys came back!" Shippo exclaimed. He got out of his sleeping bag and ran towards the three girls with a giant smile on his face.

"Of course, why wouldn't we?" Lina questioned, putting the backpack down next to the small fox-demon.

"Inuyasha said that you guys wouldn't. He said that you guys were too comfortable in your own time, and you wouldn't come back to help us." Shippo explained, looking back and forth between Kitsune and Lina.

Inuyasha! Why would you even say something like that," Kagome stated. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"I just said what everyone else was thinking," he simply replied. Inuyasha was laying on the bare ground with his hands under his head while he looked at the clear night sky.

"I was thinking it," Koga said, adding to Inuyasha's argument.

_When did they start agreeing with each other?_ Lina and Kitsune thought annoyed by this new development.

"But we are very grateful that you both came back," Miroku interjected. He stood up from sitting on a log that had been placed around the fire.

Without another word, he took Kitsune's hand and looked deep into her eyes. Shock was the apparent emotion Kitsune was feeling. Her face said it all. Lina was about to pull her friend into the safety of her arms when Miroku started speaking.

"We need you..." he began, but his sentence was interrupted by an angry Sango. She had taken her boomerang and hit the monk over the head with it.

"Owwy, Sango. What was that for? I was just going to say: we need you to get some more fire wood for the night," Miroku stated trying to explain himself. He rubbed the area of his head that had made contact with the giant, wooden boomerang.

Kitsune had taken a step back as soon as her hand was free from the perverted monk's. She looked over to her friend, hoping Lina wasn't upset at her. To her surprise, Lina was trying to hold back a laugh.

"Yeah, Kitsune. Go get some fire wood," she said, bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Screw you, I'm tired and going bed," she replied with a smile. "Why don't you do it, Koga," Kitsune added, unfolding a blanket that she was going to sleep on.

"You want some fire wood? Here's your fire wood," the wolf-demon growled.

He picked up the log that Miroku had been sitting on and threw it into the fire pit. The orange glow grew greatly as it was revived from near death. For the rest of the night, everyone remained quiet, and soon, after all the commotion, they fell asleep.

The sun had been in the sky for less than thirty minutes and Lina could already hear the rustle of someone stirring near her. She rubbed her eyes and scanned the campsite. It seemed like everyone was still sleeping. She studied the rise and fall of her friend's chest. Lina had always found peace in Kitsune's presence.

This moment was no exception. Lina let out a sigh, wishing she could fall back to sleep, but it was hopeless. She was completely awake now. Sitting up, she stretched out her limbs_ I don't think I'll ever get used to sleeping on the ground _Lina thought rubbing a kink out her neck.

Looking over at the sleeping bodies again she noticed Miroku and Sango sleeping ever-so-close to each other. _HE hits on Kitsune and me, but he has a girlfriend. _That thought should have made Lina less attracted to the monk, but it sadly didn't. There was something about him that she couldn't explain. Letting out another sigh she stood up.

Already knowing that today was going to be a long day, she decided to go ahead and take a bath while everyone was still sleeping. Lina had recalled seeing a river on the walk back towards the Bone Eater's well yesterday.

Being as quiet as she could, the warrior gathered: a towel, soap, her tooth brush, tooth paste, a hair brush, and her favorite hair bow. Without wasting anytime she made her way north. The forest seemed calm and safe. Bird songs filled the air.

Lina heard a bush rustle to her right, but wrote it off as a rabbit playing in the undergrowth. It was about a ten minute walk before she could hear the trickling of water. Scanning the area around her for any signs of peeping Toms, she finally decided it was safe to strip down. Lina tested the water with her big toe and found it tolerable. She waded into the waist deep water and began to wash herself.

Kitsune woke up to someone gently shaking her.

"I'm up, I'm up!" she yawned. Shippo stood before her. "What's up little man? Did you have a bad dream? You can sleep with me if you want," Kitsune yawned again. She rubbed her eyes realizing hazily that it was morning already. _Crap, I don't wanna get up yet. I need my beauty sleep. _

"No, dumb-y, I didn't have a bad dream. I'm waking you up because Lina is gone," the fox-demon replied with some attitude. "And some of her stuff is gone too," Shippo added. He pointed to the backpack that she and Lina had been sharing.

"What the hell are you guys talking about this early?" Inuyasha called. He scratched behind his ear looking annoyed.

"Lina's gone," Shippo replied with no hesitation.

"What do you mean she's gone, pipsqueak?" Koga questioned.

He was now sitting up stretching his arms. Kitsune couldn't help but notice how well toned his muscles were. _He's some kind of wolf-demon God, _she thought. She could feel her cheeks heating up.

"Hey, don't call me pipsqueak!" Shippo demanded. "And I mean, she's not here; her stuff is gone," he added, folding his arms.

"Come on guys, you can't possibly think she went home," Kitsune stated breaking out of her Koga thoughts.

Kagome was now awake as well. "She wouldn't leave Kitsune here by herself," Kagome stated letting out a long, deep yawn. _She would have at least told her._

Kitsune grabbed the bag and looked over the contents. Most of Lina's stuff was still inside. The only missing things were the bathing materials.

"Shippo, you're over reacting," she sighed with relief. She knew her friend wouldn't leave her, but it was nice to see proof. "Lina's just taking a bath." Kitsune added. She put the pack down and saw the realization spread over Inuyasha, Koga, and Shippo's faces.

"You guys should give Lina more credit than that," Miroku stated simply. He had woken up towards the beginning of the discussion.

"Miroku's right. You all should be ashamed of yourselves," Sango chimed in. Sango might not be Lina's biggest fan, but she seemed to have her back on this one. Kitsune nodded in agreement.

"I'm glad that's settled and all, but we should start packing up and head out soon," Koga said. He stood up and patted the dust off of himself.

"If we leave soon, we could make it to the next village by night fall," Kagome added, rolling up her sleeping bag.

"You're never this eager to leave, Kagome," Miroku smiled.

"It's because she wants to sleep at an inn tonight," Inuyasha mumbled.

"Shut up, Inuyasha. I hate sleeping out on the ground every night, and you know it. So leave me alone," she huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's okay, I'll make sure we stay at an inn tonight," Koga told Kagome. He rushed to her side, taking her hand in his.

Kitsune averted her eyes. She hated to admit it, but she was jealous of Kagome. She had two handsome guys after her heart. And what did she have? She had…Shippo? No, Kitsune didn't even have Shippo because he was under Kagome's spell as well. Kagome was sweet and caring, so Kitsune could understand it, but it was getting a little old.

"Get your dirty wolf-paws off…" Inuyasha started. His ears twitched while he sniffed the air.

"Did you hear that?" Koga asked.

Inuyasha nodded stiffly.

"What is it?" Miroku questioned. The monk picked up his staff, sensing something was wrong.

"A scream, Lina's scream," Koga whispered.

"I smell blood," Inuyasha added.

At this point Kitsune didn't understand why they were all just standing there. "Let's go! She needs our help!" she cried franticly. Without another word they were all on the move. Kagome hopped on Inuyasha's back, Miroku, Shippo, and Sango were on Kirara's back. Kistune grabbed Kensaki no Muchi and Raitou and begun running towards the river. She was grateful when Koga picked her up bridal style and continued running as fast as he could.

Lina was kicking herself when she realized she had left Raitou back at the campsite. When she had first started washing herself, everything had seemed fine. But little did she know that she was being followed the whole time.

Lina had been rinsing out her hair when she finally sensed the threat. But it was already too late. When she turned around she found a man standing where her kimono laid. With a bow and arrow in hand, he smiled down at Lina.

"Sorry miss, but this will fetch a pretty penny in the market place," the intruder stated. He bent down and picked up the soft pink and red material.

"No please, my grandmother gave me that," Lina cried out. She started towards the shore.

"Take one more step, and I will shoot you with this here arrow," the man warned.

Lina had always been thick headed and ignored his warning completely. She continued to exit the water. Her torso was sticking out of the waves. That man was about to take something that was very precious to her, so the last thing on her mind was how she was completely and utterly naked.

The thief did exactly what he threatened. He drew back the string and aimed at Lina's chest. What seemed to be an eternity, really happened in seconds. Lina let out a scream as she tried her damnedest to avoid the attack, but she wasn't quick enough. A stinging, throbbing sensation filled her body. Even though she could feel her blood spilling out, she continued towards the man who had just shot her.

"You're one tough bitch, but you'll never catch up to me with a wound like that," he snickered, taking off into the forest.

_Damn it. _Lina thought as she finally made it to shore. She looked at her left shoulder where there was an arrow sticking out of her. At least the thief was a bad shot. She could have died instantly if he had hit her heart.

Blood was dripping down her wet arm. Lina fought back the feeling of passing out and grabbed her towel. She was going after this asshole. That kimono had be the last gift her grandmother had given her before she died last year.

Lina wrapped the soft cloth around her wet, naked body and took off in the direction the man had taken. Making sure to keep pressure on the wound she sprinted through the dense forest.

It wasn't long until Lina couldn't take another step. The blood loss was taking a bigger toll on her than she would have liked to admit. Resting her back against the biggest oak in the area, she looked down at the gore that was her shoulder.

Lina couldn't help but let out a sob. She was bleeding out and she had lost her most prized possession. If there was a time to give up, it was now. She sat down under the canopy of vibrant green leaves.

She thought about how everything would have turned out if she had woken up Kitsune to go bathe with her. But Lina discarded that thought immediately. It was best that Kitsune hadn't been there. All that mattered was her safety. Lina had always told Kitsune she would take a bullet for her if it came down to it. She was the only person who accepted her for her.

As she thought about her friend, Lina decided that she couldn't give up. Not now, not when they hadn't even started their destiny together. She would not let it end like this. She ripped a strand of cloth from her towel and laid it across her lap. Lina took a deep breath as she gripped the arrow shaft.

"Are we getting close?" Kitsune asked anxiously.

"Yeah, the smell of her blood is getting stronger," Inuyasha replied. He picked up his pace and Koga followed his example.

"Can you see anything, Miroku?" Kitsune yelled up at the flying Kirara.

"Not yet," he called back.

At this point she was about to have a heart attack. _Hold on, Lina. I'm on my way. _Kitsune thought gripping the weapons she held in her hands even harder.

"She'll be alright, she's tough," Koga comforted her. And the funny thing was that it worked. He was right, Lina was one of the toughest people she knew.

It was only a few moments before Miroku spotted something. "There's someone to the east," he told the group.

It didn't take long for Inuyasha and Koga to catch up to the figure. When they got close enough, they could tell it was Lina. The crazy part was she was still jogging through the underbrush and trees. She had nothing on but a bloodied towel.

"Lina!" Kitsune yelled, jumping out of Koga's arms. She ran to her friend, glad she was still alive. "What the hell happened to you?" she questioned. Kitsune scanned Lina head to toe.

The nearly naked woman before her had a wound on her shoulder with a piece of towel tied around it. "I had to stop the bleeding if I wanted to keep going," Lina explained.

Kitsune then noticed that she was holding an arrow in her opposite hand. "I wanted to keep it as a souvenir," she explained again with a smile. At that moment she knew Lina was going to be just fine.

"I'm glad you're alright," Kitsune smiled.

"Me too," her friend smiled back.

"Who did this to you?" Miroku asked, interrupting the touching moment. The look on his face was one of pure anger.

"A man…he stole my kimono," Lina replied. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I promise, Lina, we will find this man." The monk wrapped his arms gently around her. Kitsune realized that he really meant what he was saying.

In this moment he wasn't the perverted monk that she had come to know, he was someone who also cared about her friend almost as much as she did. "And we'll get your kimono back," Kitsune added, knowing how much it meant to Lina.

Letting go, Miroku asked Lina which way the man had run off in. She pointed north-east.

"How convenient. That's where the village we need to travel to is," Inuyasha stated.


	6. Healing

"What are we going to do about Lina? Look at her, she gushing. We can't just keep going!" Kitsune protested.

"Kitsune, we have to keep going. I don't want him to sell my kimono before we get there. I will be fine," Lina said giving her worried friend a weak smile. The weakness in her smile only made Kitsune feel worse.

"Well, let's get some clothes on you at least," Kitsune said smiling. She gave Lina underwear, shorts, and a loose t-shirt to change into. Everyone politely turned around to let her change.

"We can lay her on Kirara, Inuyasha can take Kagome, and Koga can take Kitsune," Miroku said. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can catch that guy and treat Lina's wounds, but we have to hurry!" he yelled picking Lina up in his arms.

It soothed Lina greatly to hear the concern in his voice. _He does care about me_ she thought smiling softly.

Her body was tired and every muscle ached. She was too weak to move anymore and was grateful for Miroku picking her up. Kirara bent down so the monk could set Lina up on the demon's back. He jumped up on Kirara and settled behind Lina; this allowed her to lean back and rest her body against the monk. She was surprised to realize how comfortable he was; he was soft but firm at the same time.

Seeing Lina on Miroku made Kitsune feel a little better knowing that she was safe, but she still had a worried look on her face.

"Don't worry, I can run as fast as Kirara can fly, if not faster. You won't be away from her for a second," Koga said picking Kitsune up. She was amazed at how intense he sounded. Kitsune just nodded in response.

"Let's go!" she yelled, signaling for the group to move.

It was a good thing that the village wasn't very far away. They got there in what felt like five minutes. Nothing was terribly far in this era because it would take too long for anyone to get anywhere. _Why can't we travel like this all the time?_ she thought to herself.

Once Kirara landed, Miroku gently picked Lina up again. She had her eyes closed but was not sleeping; she was in too much pain to sleep.

"We need to find a healer immediately," Miroku said to Kitsune as he started walking off into the main part of the village. Kitsune followed but glanced back in enough time to see Sango looking unhappy.

"We'll take care of that asshole," Inuyasha said with a smirk on his face that was almost creepy. He, Koga, Shippo, and Kagome walked off to the market of the village.

"Hey guys! Let me know when you catch him!" Kitsune yelled after them, receiving only a wave from Inuyasha.

Kitsune followed Miroku around the village. He was practically running and her short legs could barely keep up. Plus Lina's sword kept smacking her in the thigh, already creating a slight bruise.

"Yes there is a medicine woman here," Kitsune finally heard a young boy say. Miroku ran into the small hut that was dimly lit. It smelled like herbs and old blood but it was the only option they had.

The young boy aided a much older woman over to wear Miroku had laid Lina down. She looked at least 100 years old to Kitsune. She had white hair was in a tight bun and had to be less than 5 foot tall. Without saying a word she sat down cross-legged by Lina's body. The young boy brought a basket of herbs, bandages, and other supplies.

The old lady pulled out an odd pipe that had a stream of smoke coming out of it. "Here child…inhale this gently. It will ease the pain," she said putting the pipe up to Lina's lips who obliged eagerly.

_It must be some kind of opium_ Kitsune thought remembering the old stories of elderly Japanese ladies getting high on the natural pain killer. It was completely outlawed in their future era. The old lady removed Lina's shirt gently and covered her breasts with a cloth. Thankfully Miroku was glancing out of the hut entrance…maybe he was looking for the man that did this.

The medicine woman made a compress of herbs and some kind of oil. She pushed it into Lina's wound gently.

"This should help her to heal. None of her vitals were hit, but she has lost a lot of blood," the old woman stated quietly. She pounded some dry herbs in a small cup and mixed it with water.

"This should help revive you," she whispered to Lina as she lifted the cup to Lina's lips. "Now all we can do is pray while she rests," the old woman stated.

Miroku immediately pulled his rosary off of his hand that contained the wind tunnel. He placed his two hands together and closed his eyes.

_We don't need to pray…she's going to be just fine_ Kitsune told herself finally able to relax.

"Kitsune they found him!" she heard Shippo yelling. Before Lina could fuss, Kitsune jumped up and ran towards the direction Shippo yelled from.

She turned a corner into the village market and saw Inuyasha and Koga standing over a large man who was crumpled on the floor in a cowardly position. Koga was cracking his knuckles with a large smile on his face.

"Please….please don't hurt me! Here, have the kimono, I didn't sell it," the man pleaded shaking. Shippo grabbed the kimono quickly and ran off towards the hut where Lina laid in recovery. Kitsune shoved her way in front of the man. It made her sick to her stomach to look at his ugly face. She grabbed his collar, pulling his face close to hers.

"You made a huge mistake buddy," she growled. She pulled her arm back, her hand clenched in a tight fist. Her knuckles connected with the man's nose with such power that his nose practically blew up, squirting blood onto Kitsune's hand. She stood up and walked to Kagome who looked shocked.

"Give me one of your arrows please," Kitsune stated politely. Kagome complied quickly, suddenly afraid of her teen companion.

Kitsune walked back to the man who was holding his nose. "You think it's cool to shoot people with arrows you bastard? Well, I believe in an eye-for-an-eye," Kitsune said forcing Kagome's arrow deep into the man's shoulder. He let out a shrill scream.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he yelled rolling onto the ground.

"Lina's more of a man than you, you coward," Inuyasha said spitting on the ground near the writhing man.

"We're not going to kill him?" Koga asked in disbelief.

Kitsune flashed him a quick smile. "I got all the vengeance I needed, plus, my friend needs me," she said walking away. She didn't hear any more noises as she walked away, signaling that her friends were following her rather than killing the thief. It wasn't that she didn't want to kill him, she just knew that he would suffer more this way.

The last thing Lina remembered was inhaling something foul tasting from a pipe. _Whatever that shit was, it was strong_ she thought. Her shoulder felt numb, but at least it didn't hurt. She saw that it was dark in the room she was in and looked down to see her chest wrapped with tight, white bandages. She leaned up, rustling the blanket that covered her.

"Lina, you shouldn't try to sit up yet." She couldn't see him but knew the voice was Miroku's.

"I'm fine Miroku, don't worry. Where are the others?"

"They went to the inn across the street, well except for Koga, they wouldn't let him in. I guess his tribe isn't far from here and the villagers are afraid of him. Kitsune didn't want to go but I told her I would stay with you," Miroku said quietly.

She was glad that he couldn't see her because she knew she would be blushing. "Y-you didn't see anything did you?" Lina asked referring to her body.

"Of course not, it wouldn't be polite," Miroku said. She could finally see the outline of his face and could tell by his tone that he was smiling. "Kitsune got your kimono back, it's lying next to you for when you want to put it back on. I heard she really hurt that guy," Miroku said chuckling.

Lina chuckled, she knew that her friend was secretly a badass. It actually made her wound hurt less thinking of her friend brutally beating her attacker.

"Lina…I just wanted to say that I admire you," Miroku said out of nowhere.

Lina was confused. "Why would you admire me? I'm nothing special," she whispered quietly.

Miroku sighed. He actually sounded irritated. "Why would you say something like that? You are strong and resilient and fearless. I've seen you, you don't think twice about anything. Granted, that's how you got yourself shot with an arrow, leaving without telling anyone. But it makes you an amazing warrior, and an even better friend," Miroku said.

Lina didn't know what to say…she had never heard someone be so nice to her before. "Why are you so kind to me Miroku?" she asked after sitting in silence for a while.

"Because I sense the kindness in your heart," he said placing his hand on top of hers. She could finally make out his face and his eyes looked almost blue in the moonlight. This wasn't his typical perverted stare, it was different. Lina didn't think twice and despite the pain she felt from moving, she scooted closer to him.

Never breaking eye contact, Miroku gently placed his hand on Lina's cheek. He lowered his face to hers. She could feel his soft breath on her mouth. He smelled like clean linens and a fresh, cool breeze. It was soothing her to her core.

Miroku gently pressed his lips to hers, but only for a quick second. Her eyes were closed and she had to admit that she was disappointed that he pulled away.

"Sango, no!" he yelled as he got up and ran out of the hut.

_Oh shit…Sango!_ Lina threw her hand to her head. Miroku's girlfriend must have walked in to check on him just to see the two in some romantic scene.

Why was Lina even doing this to herself? She knew Miroku was in a relationship and still allowed herself to get involved with a man she barely knew. She laid back down with a sigh. She felt like a horrible person, but couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. _It definitely counts as a kiss_ she told herself. She had such mixed feelings of excitement and self-loathing; it was giving her a headache.

She could hear faint harsh words in the distance being shared by Miroku and Sango. She rolled on to her side and shoved a part of the blanket over her head to stifle the noises. After what felt like an hour she was finally able to fall back asleep.

Kitsune sat in the medicine woman's hut changing Lina's bandages. The sun was barely coming out in the early morning and the group was already growing restless.

"So what's our next move?" Inuyasha asked, not sounding like he expected an answer. He was sitting cross-legged in the entrance of the hut.

"We don't have to slow down because of me," Lina stated.

"Oh yes we do," Kitsune said pulling the bandage extra tight so Lina would know she was serious.

"Jeeze, fine mom," Lina said tugging on the tight bandage. "I really do feel fine though. I think we just need to find out our game plan and go for it. Maybe someone in the village has heard something about Naraku," Lina said. This made the bored Inuyasha jump up.

"Great, I'll go now!" he said as he began to walk away.

"Wait Inuyasha, let's all go as a group," Kagome commanded. "Speaking of a group, has anyone seen Sango and Kirara lately?" she asked just noticing that the demon-slayer had been gone all morning.

Miroku sighed. "I guess I should tell you guys now. Her and I got into a little spat last night about nothing important and she said she wanted to go back to the village to Lady Kaede and gather her thoughts," Miroku said sounding a little too casual.

Lina couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She was thankful that she wasn't facing anyone or else they would be able to see her guilty expression.

"Oh no, Sango!" Kagome stated worrying about her friend.

"What did you do this time you lecher?" Inuyasha asked with a laugh in his voice.

"Don't worry Kagome, she's as tough as nails, she won't be in any danger. She should be fine soon," Miroku stated sounding like he wanted to change the subject.

Kitsune thought that it was a little suspicious that Sango and Miroku got into a fight the same night that she caught Sango looking at Lina so angrily. There was no doubt that this had something to do with Miroku's obvious feelings for Lina.

Kitsune felt bad that she had nothing to offer the old lady for her amazing help. Miroku had placed some protection charms on her hut walls, but she didn't feel like that was enough. An idea popped into her head and she grabbed hers and Lina's backpack. She took the box of tampons that they were going to give Sango as a joke, since it wasn't like they were going to give them to her now. Kitsune unwrapped all of them, placing the trash in her backpack.

"Excuse me…I would like to offer you these as thanks. They soak up blood much better than cloths you use and you can use them for nose bleeds," she said thinking back to the man's nose she had busted.

"What kind of sorcery is this?" the old woman asked taking the tampons.

"No sorcery…just something new that will be of help," Kitsune said smiling. Lina couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the old healer with a handful of tampons.

The sight reminded her of the other gifts they had brought for everyone.

"I almost forgot! We have gifts for everyone from our era," she said smiling.

Shippo became overly excited and ran towards Lina eagerly.

"Shippo this is a lollipop. It is hard-candy that you lick," Lina said smiling as she watched the young demon run off with his prize.

"Inuyasha, you get this ball," Lina said tossing the tennis ball out of the hut opening.

Inuyasha ran off to go catch it making Kagome laugh. "Fetch boy," she said making the girls laugh with her.

"Koga, this is a squeaky toy," Kitsune said throwing the toy into Koga's hand.

"A toy!?" Koga said holding it out like it was poisonous.

"I mean…it's a training device…for…agility," Kitsune said making something up.

Koga looked more interested in the squeaky toy and closed his fist over it. He threw the toy in the air in horror as it squeaked. Kitsune and Lina almost died laughing.

"It hurts, it hurts so much!" Lina said holding her sides.

"What do I get?" Miroku asked smiling.

Kitsune immediately blushed. "You give it to him," she said handing Lina the bag.

"Um, Miroku, we brought you a dirty magazine," Lina said clearing her throat. Kagome gasped blushing as well.

"What the hell is that?" Inuyasha said walking back into the hut with his ball.

"It is a collection of pictures of naked women in provocative poses," Lina stated fearlessly removing the magazine from the backpack.

In a flash Miroku snatched it and put it in the inner pocket of his robe. "Ehem...thank you Lina…well let's move on," Miroku stated clearing his throat.

The group all got up and began to walk around the village to the market. Not to Kitsune's surprise, they didn't see the man that attacked Lina creeping around.

Koga approached a group of cute girls. "Excuse me ladies," he started, his voice oozing with sex appeal. Kitsune scoffed at his display, crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe you can help us, we are looking for a demon named Naraku," Koga asked leaning into the group of girls.

"Demon!" they shrieked running away leaving Koga scratching his head. The whole group stifled a laugh.

"That only works when I do it," Miroku stated bluntly.

"Way to get some clues stupid, you scared them away!" Inuyasha snapped at Koga.

"Hey, who are you calling stupid!?" Koga growled whirling around towards Inuyasha.

_So much for them getting along_ Lina thought shaking her head sadly at their display.

"You couldn't get those girls and you sure as hell couldn't get Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled smiling smugly.

"Hey you watch your mouth mutt-face before I bash it in! How dare you speak for Kagome, she has her own voice!" Koga yelled balling his fists up.

"She'll never love you Koga, or else she would be with you and not me," Inuyasha said fiercely.

"How did this turn into an argument about me?" Kagome asked holding her hands up in surrender.

Koga snarled at Inuyasha and ran to Kagome. "Tell that mutt he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Tell him me and you are going to be together one day!" Koga said grabbing her hand.

"Koga…Koga I…. don't know that for sure," Kagome said almost too quietly for anyone else to hear. "I'm not really thinking about that right now….and anyway, I have Inuyasha to protect me…" she finished awkwardly.

Koga's eyes dropped as he dropped her hand. His gaze turned cold and his voice deepened.

"I don't see why I'm still needed here then," he said with a low, dark voice. "You all can go rot in hell!" he snarled and in a rush of wind he disappeared.

"What just happened?" Shippo asked. No one could provide him with an answer.


	7. What Lies Ahead

The group sat without making a sound. Everyone was replaying all of the previous events in their heads and it didn't seem right to talk as if nothing had happened. A small voice interrupted the group's silence.

"Did you guys say Naraku, as in the powerful demon?" a teenage boy said nervously.

'"Yes…why have you heard of him!?" Inuyasha asked loudly, scaring the boy.

"Well, only rumors. I heard he had his demons take control of a castle to the north on Mount Hotarubi," the boy whimpered.

"Who did you hear it from if you don't mind me asking," Kagome said in a much gentler voice.

"The man that comes here to sell his sheep at market told me that many fearsome demons have been picking off his herd when he lets them out to pasture. He tells me horrible things happen to anyone that goes near the castle," the boy stated.

"That's where we have to go then," Miroku stated simply earning a nod from the rest of the group.

"Thank you so much," Kagome said to the boy as the group walked to the outskirts of the village.

"Let's take a minute to think about our plan…this is important and we can't go in there blindly if it's as bad as the boy was saying," Miroku said sitting down on the grass. It still seemed as if no one wanted to say anything.

"We need Koga for this," Miroku stated. It was an obvious statement that no one else wanted to make.

"We also need Sango for this but you chased her off," Inuyasha said back, his voice dripping with attitude.

"I chased her off, not Miroku," Lina interjected making everyone look at her with confused expressions. Everyone was mentally exhausted at this point and taking it out on one another.

"Inuyasha, don't be cruel," Kagome said sternly. "We need all the help we can get and the worst thing we can do is go at each other's' throats," Kagome said calmly.

Kitsune, who hadn't said a word in quite a while, pulled Lina aside. "We need to get Koga back. I'm going after him," Kitsune said with her eyes narrowed in determination.

"Well…we're going with you then," Lina stated simply. Kitsune expected her to argue. No one wants their friend going into danger by themselves, but all they had been doing since they fell into the Bone Eater's well was expose themselves to danger.

"Koga's not going to listen to just anyone. He would want to hear from Kagome the most, but there's no way Inuyasha is going to let her go. You guys need to start the journey up to the castle and with Koga's speed he can carry only one person. We will meet you guys before there's any real danger. Plus, he even said earlier that his tribe was close to here," Kitsune said convincingly.

"I can't let you do this Kitsune, not without me!" Lina said with a plea in her eyes.

Kitsune smiled, "I have to do this Lina. You need to conserve your strength and you can't leave Miroku alone now. I will see you again in no time," Kitsune said winking.

Lina knew there was no way she could talk her friend out of it. She let out a deep sigh. "Ok you crazy bitch…just be careful," she said pulling Kitsune into a death-vice hug with her good arm.

The two walked back to the group. "I'm leaving to go get Koga…by myself. Don't argue because I've made up my mind. If I leave now I will make it to his tribe, I just need to get pointed in the right direction," Kitsune said with her arms crossed.

Everyone looked at her with large eyes.

"The hell you are!" Inuyasha yelled jumping up. "We don't need him and you're gonna get killed by yourself!"

Kitsune smiled knowing that that was the way Inuyasha showed he cared.

"Kagome, which way should I head? I'm losing daylight," Kitsune said with her hands on her hips. Inuyasha ran over to Kitsune with his fists out.

"If you leave to go get Koga I'll kick you square in your…..,"

"SIT BOY," Kagome shouted before Inuyasha could finish his sentence. Inuyasha's face smashed into the ground, his fingers twitching.

"Just head east and Kitsune…please be careful," Kagome said hugging Kitsune tightly. Everyone said their goodbyes which made Kitsune feel as if she was never coming back. She thought she even saw Lina shed a tear.

Kitsune stared east as she walked through the thicket of the woods. _How far could he really have gotten by now?_ She thought to herself. The day was nice and the hot sun was blocked by the thicket of the trees.

It felt like she had been walking for an hour or maybe over that. The birds were chirping and she had to admit that she wasn't scared at all…yet. She took a step while staring up at a singing bird. A high pitch squeak sounded out of nowhere that made her heart jump into her throat.

She looked down to find the cause of the noise and saw the squeaky-toy that she had given to Koga. She tried hard not to let it upset her that he threw it away. At least she could bring it back to him and if she found it then she was on the right path. She continued on her way, determined to reach the wolf-demon at all costs.

She sensed that she was close and looked up to see where the sun was in the sky. When she looked up she felt the ground disappear beneath her and she fell down into a dark hole. She fell hard to the bottom of the pit, landing on her ankle. She needed to learn how to stop looking up when she was walking.

"Shit!" Kitsune yelled out half from fear and half from pain. She must have fallen into someone's large pit-fall trap. She looked around, and as her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, she let out a scream.

Next to her was a deer impaled on a large wooden spike at the bottom of the pit. Its eyes were wide open staring at her. Flies flew around its mouth, landing on its nose; it was quite the gruesome scene. If she had fallen a few more inches to the right she would be impaled along with her deer friend.

_I've gotta get out of here_ Kitsune thought as she tried to stand up. The pain from her ankle was too much and she quickly fell back down. All she could do was call out for help. After only five minutes of sitting in the dark trap she heard footsteps.

"Help! In here!" She called out looking up through the top of the pit. A face of a wolf-demon appeared. He was huge, had a wide brow, and tiny eyes. He was definitely no Koga.

"I fell in here on my way to see Koga….of the wolf-demon tribe….do you know him?" Kitsune asked. She had a feeling that this guy was a little slow after he didn't respond. He just lowered his giant arms into the pit-fall trap.

He lifted the deer on one shoulder and Kitsune on the other. "Hey, watch it buddy!" she said as he roughly flung her body like a rag doll. Her face was inches away to from the face of the dead deer as he walked with both of them in tow.

Kitsune couldn't see in front of her but she could tell that they were approaching the tribe's hideout. They came to a dusty clearing with a campfire and a large cluster of wolf-demons. With a hard thud, the giant wolf-demon dropped both the deer and Kitsune on the dusty, hard ground.

"Ouch!" she said rubbing her butt. "I need to see Koga immediately. Tell him it's Kitsune," she commanded the group of smaller wolf-demons that began to gather around her.

If it weren't for her possibly broken ankle she would get up and find Koga herself. They all started to laugh dark-sounding laughs that made Kitsune's blood run cold.

"Why should we do anything you say human," one said.

"Where is Koga? Or Ginta or Hakaku? I'm their ally," she said beginning to panic.

"They're not in charge of us," another one said causing the group to laugh like hyenas.

She reached for her weapon on her belt, but she was too slow. A wolf-demon quickly kicked it out of her hand into the hands of another demon.

"And what were you planning on doing with this?" he asked in a mocking tone.

"Give it to me and I'll show you," Kitsune growled.

"Oh this one's got a little fire in her."

"Yea she's kind of sexy huh? Maybe we shouldn't eat her just yet."

Before Kitsune could fight back the demons had a tight rope tied around her.

"Let me go you bastards or you'll be sorry!" she screamed getting more than just scared. She grew frantic and tried to pull out of the ropes.

"Squirm all you want," the closest wolf-demon said squatting in front of her.

"What's up with those weird clothes she's wearing?" one wolf-demon in the back of the group asked.

"I don't know…let's find out if she's normal underneath them," the one in front of Kitsune said. He had long spiky hair and a scar on his cheek; he looked older than Koga and was definitely mangier.

The scary look in his eyes was obvious as he reached for the collar of Kitsune's shirt while licking his sharp canines. He grabbed her collar and yanked down, exposing the white flesh of her chest along with the top part of her bra.

"KOOGAAAAA!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I already told you human, that young leader of ours won't help you," the wolf-demon laughed.

Just then a tall figure appeared on a rock above the clearing. "Take your hands off her or I'll rip them off," Koga growled in the darkest voice Kitsune had ever heard him use. The wolf-demon removed his hand but didn't back up.

"Is this another one of your human pets Koga? How about you act like a real leader and find us a better place to live or avenge our fallen brothers instead of collecting human girls?" he said snidely.

In one swift movement Koga jumped off of the rock and landed in between Kitsune and the demon.

"Be careful Mao…remember how you got that scar in the first place? I won't hesitate giving you another one," Koga said bearing his teeth. The wolf-demon he called Mao scoffed but backed off nonetheless.

"If anyone dares to try to eat Kitsune I promise you won't eat for a week! And if you try any funny-business then don't doubt that I won't cut off something else; now am I clear!?" Koga yelled out at his group of men. For ones that had been talking so tough before, they all backed down quickly.

Koga grabbed Kitsune in his arms and walked with her to a cave with a fire going inside of it. He sat her down on a soft, brown hide and sat down in front of her. He sat her whip beside of her. She hadn't even noticed that he grabbed it back in the clearing.

"Are you alright?" he asked looking in her eyes.

"I'm fine. They didn't hurt me or anything…but I did twist my ankle when I fell in the trap," she said calmly. "Koga you can untie me from these ropes now, I'm not your prisoner," she said struggling to remove herself from the ties.

"I don't know if that's correct," he replied smugly as he stood up. "You trespassed on my territory without warning and teased my men," he said. Kitsune couldn't tell if he was joking or if he really sounded angry.

"Koga, be serious, let me go," she said sternly. He crouched down an inch from her face.

"Why are you here," he asked in a low voice.

She sighed. "I came to see if you would come back. I, er, we need your help. It wouldn't be the same to defeat Naraku without you," Kitsune said looking at the ground.

"I can find Naraku on my own," Koga said sounding threatened.

"Koga cut the crap!" Kitsune boldly stated. Koga's eyes grew large and he backed up upon hearing the seriousness in her voice.

"W-what did you say to me!?" he asked in disbelief.

"Kagome isn't the whole world, so what if she's not interested in you, if you ask me she's crazy! But there are more important things, like your pride and avenging your clan. I'm not saying that you need us to defeat Naraku, I'm saying that we need you. Friends are allowed to admit that," she said, her voice lightening up towards the end.

With one flick of his nail Koga broke the binds holding Kitsune. He grabbed her hand. "I needed to hear that," he mumbled and flashed a quick smile that almost made Kitsune's heart melt.

"Koga, Koga, we heard you and Mao almost got into a scuffle…..oh, hi Kitsune." Ginta and Hakaku raced into the cave only to see Koga holding Kitsune's hand. Koga dropped her hand immediately and looked up at the two wolf-demons.

"What are you idiots goin' on about?" he asked nonchalantly.

"We heard there was a human girl here and we thought it was Kagome," Ginta said awkwardly.

"Everyone was saying that she looked delicious," Hakaku added making Kitsune blush.

Koga walked up and smacked Hakaku on the back of the head. "Well no one's eating her alright!?" he said.

"Oh boy, wait till Ayame hears about this," Ginta said thoughtfully.

As if the name was a curse Koga immediately slapped his hand around Ginta's mouth.

"Who's Ayame?" Kitsune asked quizzically.

"Koga's fiancé, he hasn't said anything about her?" Hakaku said having recovered from his hit to the head.

"Fiancé!?" Kitsune asked in disbelief.

"No she just thinks we're engaged, but I already told Kagome I would marry her!" Koga yelled in defense.

"Oh, Kagome…right," Kitsune said growing silent.

"Smooth move," Hakaku said earning another swift punch to the head.

"Wh-what I meant Kitsune is….," Koga started.

"It's alright Koga. It's your business not mine," Kitsune said plainly. "I'm ready to catch up with the group when you are," she stated trying to stand up. The pain on her ankle caused her to slump back down onto her knees.

Hakaku and Ginta said their goodbyes and left, sensing that it was time for Koga to leave again. "We hope your ankle gets better Kitsune," they said as they waved goodbye.

Koga swept Kitsune into his arms again; she wrapped her arm around his neck in response. There was something about the way he held her that made her feel so small and insignificant, yet so protected at the same time, like nothing could hurt her.

She wished that that was true as he began running away from the wolf-demon tribe. Neither one spoke a word as Koga ran even faster towards the direction of the others.

"I think we should wait at the base of the mountain for Kitsune to return. With or without Koga," Kagome stated. It had only been twenty minutes since they had split up.

"I agree," Lina said, adjusting her bandages under her kimono. She was still sore, but it was tolerable. Inuyasha grunted letting everyone know that he too agreed with Kagome. Shippo jumped on to Kagome's back, "Me too!" the little fox demon called.

Miroku was the only one who didn't respond to the earlier statement. No one seemed to realize except for Lina. She still felt like a home wrecker. She had to keep reminding herself that it wasn't just her fault. Miroku was to blame just as much as she was. He knew exactly what he was doing when he had placed his lips to hers that night.

Lina shook her head, trying to clear it of any thoughts of the monk. Instead she turned her thoughts to her friend. _I hope Kitsune is doing alright _She thought. She had to admit that Kitsune had grown already since the day they first fell down the Bone Eater's well.

Lina was surprised when her friend had offered to go after the wolf demon by herself. She had a feeling that part of it had to with the fact that Kitsune liked Koga. Lina also believed that Kitsune felt like she needed to do this alone. She felt like a mother watching her child grow up just to leave her.

Koga wasted no time heading towards Mount Hotarubi. He tore through the forest leaving a trail of dust behind them. Kitsune couldn't help but think back to the conversation they had shared back in the wolf-demon den.

_A fiancé, he has a freaking fiancé _She beat herself up mentally. Why hadn't anyone told her about this? You would think that's something that would have come up during their travels. Unless no one else knew about it. That would make sense. Maybe Kagome didn't know. And if Kagome didn't know about it, then the rest of the group wouldn't. She let out a sigh.

"You doing alright? I'm not holding you too tightly am I?" Koga questioned, slowing down just a tad. He looked at her with worried eyes.

"Is it your ankle?" He asked again.

_How dare he look at me like that _Kitsune thought. _He has no right _she added.

"It aches a little, but I'm fine," she replied. She refused to make eye contact with the leader of the wolf-demon pack. She knew that once she did her anger would melt away. And Kitsune wanted to be mad; she had every right to be upset with him right now.

"Are we getting close?" she asked turning her eyes to the trees whizzing past them.

"It shouldn't be long now," Koga responded. He began running at full speed again, heading straight for Mount Hotarubi.


	8. Journey Up the Mountain

The group was moving a lot slower now that they had lost two modes of transportation. Koga and Kirara made traveling much more…quicker. That was for sure. It seemed like hours had passed in silence. But Lina noticed the mountain had grown in size as they approached the base of the humongous, natural structure.

She also noticed that she had been taking up the rear of the group for a while now. Her wound had started to become a bother the last couple of miles. Either she was sweating from all the walking or it was a fever. She believed it was the latter of the two. And there was no doubt in her mind that she had re-opened the arrow hole in her shoulder. But she refused to slow down the group even further.

"How much longer do you think it'll be?" Lina finally asked. She pressed her hand against the raw flesh around the unnatural hole in her body.

"A couple more hours would be my guess," Kagome replied, without looking back.

"We should reach there about sunset," Miroku added. It had been the first thing he had said the whole trip.

"Great," Lina sighed. She wiped the sweat from her brow.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask sooner," Inuyasha laughed. "I could smell your wound bleeding for the last hour and a half," the dog-demon added. He stopped and turned to face her.

"And you didn't say anything!?" Kagome exclaimed. Her hands were balled up into tiny fists. The look in her eyes spoke of murder.

"I wanted to see how long she could last," Inuyasha explained. "I didn't think she would last this long," he added with a smile.

"That's just messed up, Inuyasha," Shippo stated, crossing his small arms.

Lina could tell that the half-demon was starting to respect her. It was probably because he was just as thick headed as she was.

Miroku was quickly at Lina's side. "Why didn't you say something," he asked worriedly. The monk began to take medical supplies from his bag.

"I didn't want to slow us down even more," she replied.

After speaking with the old man's spirit back at the castle that Kitsune and her used to defend, Lina had started taking this whole finding/killing Naraku thing seriously. They would find him even if it killed her.

This was the first time she was part of something bigger than herself. All she had to worry about back in her time was if she was going to pass her next test, or if Kitsune and her would get into the coolest club in school. Now people were depending on her. Lives were in her hands and she could feel the pressure to do the best she could.

Miroku began to dress her wound with fresh bandages. After the monk finished playing doctor the group continued towards Mount Hotarubi.

Koga was focused on the task at hand. They were getting closer to finding Naraku. And when they did, he would kill the fucker. He would finally have his vengeance for his fallen comrades. It had been a long journey for the wolf-demon. He had battled many demons and followed many dead-end trails trying to find this bastard. He thought all hope was lost until that faithful day when he met two reincarnated demon-slayers.

Naraku's trail had returned. He looked down at one of the reincarnations that he was holding as he ran towards the next clue of Naraku's whereabouts. Her reddish-brown hair blew in the wind as they raced around rocks, trees, and bushes that surrounded them for miles. Koga had to admit that she had some balls following him back to his den. It just proved that she was just as invested in this thing as he was and he admired that.

Kitsune could just be the one who could help him get over Kagome…finally. Being shot down really took a toll after a while. His thoughts were cut short when a familiar sent hit his nose. He slowed to a stop.

"What is it?" Kitsune questioned. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't even realized how close they were to the mountain now.

"Naraku…he has been here recently," Koga responded. He set his companion down lightly next to him. They still had about a ten minute run before they reached where they were supposed to meet the others.

Kitsune's ankle was feeling much better know that it had time to rest. It was safe to assume that it wasn't broken. But it was still throbbing and a little swollen.

It was scary how apparent Naraku's presence was. Kitsune didn't have super hearing or smell, but she could feel his evilness in the air around her.

The dark aura was eating at everything it touched. Trees were rotting, the grass was dead and dry. There was nothing green growing anywhere she could see.

"At least we know we are going in the right direction," the wolf-demon stated. He bent down and picked up some dirt. "There must be something big going on here. He has tainted the soil to the point where nothing will grow here again," Koga growled, throwing the soiled dirt down.

Kitsune was at a loss for words. This shit was getting deep; fast. There was just too much to process. "Koga…" she whispered.

Without a word, he walked to her side. "I know," he stated. It was like he was reading her mind. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, or Lina." He took her hand to show that he really meant it.

"Plus, Kitsune, you're the smartest girl I know. You knew about my wolves, and I'm positive you know enough to keep yourself alive. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to protect you. I will until my last breath. I can promise you that."

She had been so determined to stay mad at him for not telling her that he had a fiancé, but that disappeared as soon as he had taken her hand. Kitsune nodded, wrapping her fingers around his. She took comfort in how sure he was about the potential battle coming up.

Giving Koga's hand a little squeeze, she said, "We should get going. We don't want the others to have to wait too much longer." He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze back.

"Oww!" Kitsune shrieked. _Damn he's strong _She thought, rubbing her hand.

"Sorry, I guess I forgot my own strength," Koga chuckled. He took her in his arms again. And before she could say "taco" they were racing through the dying landscape.

"This is where we will wait for Kitsune," Inuyasha declared. Miroku was spot on; the sun was just setting when they arrived at the meeting area.

"I hope she gets here soon. This place is freaking me out," Kagome whimpered. Shippo was hiding his head in her shoulder. The poor thing was shaking.

Lina agreed with her one hundred percent. The base of the mountain was deserted and barren. Everything was dying, which made her feel even worse. What if she were to die here too? What if they all perished here?

"She shouldn't be too far away. I bet she gets here before the sun completely sets," Inuyasha stated confidently.

"You can smell her, can't you?" Miroku asked, raising his eye brow in suspicion.

"Yeah, and that damn wolf too," he sighed.

"That's good right?" Shippo questioned. He still refused to let go of Kagome. For the first time Lina wondered why they brought the little fox-demon child along with them. It was obviously too dangerous. He couldn't even fend for himself. She thought that Inuyasha would think that it would be annoying to have to protect Shippo every time they faced a demon in battle.

"Of course, with Koga we have a better chance at defeating whatever evil lays a head," Miroku said. The second after the monk had finished his sentence a whirl-wind rushed into the middle of the group.

"Damn straight you do," the wolf-demon smiled.

Kitsune was still in his arms. From what Lina could see her friend was perfectly fine. That was a huge relief. And it was a bigger relief that her friend had been successful in bringing Koga back with her. Lina couldn't imagine going into battle without him.

He set Kitsune down beside him. "I'm so glad you're okay," Lina smiled. She took her friend in a huge hug.

"You can let go now. You're crushing me," Kitsune gasped. She finally had to push her way free. She worried her friend was going to smother her with love.

"Sorry," Lina stated. But she wasn't sorry at all. She was just happy that the group was back together again. Well almost the whole group. Sango was still off somewhere throwing herself a pity party. Well there's nothing she could do about it now. What's done is done.

"So what's the plan?" Lina asked after all the welcome backs were said. She was hoping that they would head to the demon infested castle in the morning. That way she would have at least one more night to recover. She could still feel that she had a slight fever, but nothing that would hinder her from going with the rest of the group if they did decided to go tonight.

"I say we attack now," Koga growled. Kitsune couldn't help but smile. Of course he would say that. He wanted to get this done and over with. It was just typical Koga.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I agree with wolf-boy," Inuyasha stated.

"We could use the darkness to our advantage," Miroku agreed.

"The element of surprise," Kitsune whispered.

"Exactly," the monk said.

"I guess this is it guys. Live together, die alone," Lina said. She took Kitsune's hand in hers. Kitsune took Koga's hand in the other. Miroku took Lina's, looking her in the eye.

"Live together, die alone," the monk resounded.


	9. Mount Hotarubi

Luckily the castle wasn't too far up the mountain. But by the time the group reached the summit of Mount Hotarubi the sun had completely set. Weapons in hand, the group eyed the building. It seemed to be abandoned, but they knew better. The boy back at the village had confirmed that there had been massive amounts of demons in the area. All the demons answered to Naraku and Naraku alone; which meant he was close.

The courtyard surrounding the castle was empty and dark, but there was a single light coming from inside the structure. Lina tightened her grip on Raitou's handle. Despite her injury she was ready to kick some demon ass. And she felt even more confident with Miroku by her side. He gave the young warrior an encouraging smile.

Kitsune looked to Koga. She still had mixed feelings about this plan, but like Lina had said, they were in this together. Koga placed his hand on Kitsune's shoulder. He nodded to her, letting her know that he was there for her.

"Okay so this is what we're going to do," Inuyasha started. Everyone turned their attention to their "leader". "Kagome is going to shoot an arrow with one of Miroku's charms attached to it at the building. That should force whatever's inside to vacate the castle. If we're lucky there will only be a couple of demons. But that can't be guaranteed. So let's assume there's a couple hundred. Koga and I will be in the middle of the courtyard. We have a better chance of killing most of the bastards. Lina, Kitsune, Miroku, you guys will be towards the edge of the courtyard, picking off as many of them as you can. Miroku don't use the wind tunnel unless it's absolutely necessary," Inuyasha finished.

The monk nodded, understanding his role.

"What about me?" Kagome asked.

"You will remain up here with Shippo. If you have a clear shot on a demon take it. But keep at least one arrow just in case Naraku shows himself," the half-demon instructed. Kagome was about to argue but quickly decided against it. Inuyasha seemed to know what he was talking about which was comforting.

"Are we ready?" Koga questioned. Lina could tell that he was getting antsy. Inuyasha nodded.

"May my arrow fly straight and true," Kagome whispered, more to herself than anything. She let loose the bow string.

The arrow with Miroku's charm attached flew through the air. A thud echoed through the mountain ridge as it stuck to the wood of the castle. It took a moment to work, but when it did, all hell broke loose.

Purple electricity consumed the building, making the castle pulsate. That's when the group rushed through the courtyard gates. Kitsune felt like this was a little too déjà vu for her. They had practically done the same thing back at the other castle where they had met Kagura. But this time was a little different. They were more prepared this time.

After the castle had stopped pulsating a figure exited the building. The "person" was covered in a white baboon pelt, making it impossible to see their face. It stood about one hundred yards in front of them.

"I was almost positive that it would take you longer to find me, Inuyasha," a deep voice called from under the disguise.

"You should have more faith in me….Naraku," the dog-demon replied. His voice dripped with angry venom.

"I do have faith, faith that you all shall meet your maker this night," Naraku chuckled.

"I'd like to see you try, little baboon man," Koga growled. His fangs were bared and his claws were begging to connect with flesh.

"Let's end this now," Miroku stated, holding his staff in both hands.

In the same moment Kensaki no Muchi, Raitou, and Inuyaha's weapon transformed into the demon slaying machines they were.

"Tessaigaaa!" Inuyasha called as his sword came to life.

Naraku nodded, "As you wish."

The hooded demon raised his arms above his head. The ground began shaking. The earthquake only lasted for a moment. Lina and Kitsune couldn't believe their eyes as roots began growing from Naraku's feet. Dozens of the thick branches sprouted out. They reached out towards the heroes, threatening to crush them.

Out of nowhere an arrow rushed towards Naraku's head, but it was useless. One of the roots reached up and blocked Kagome's attack.

"The only way to get to him is to cut the roots," Miroku called to the girls. They both nodded, showing that they understood what the monk had said.

Inuyasha and Koga had already started chopping their way through the roots that surrounded them. One of the wooden tentacles focused in on Miroku. Kitsune knew that the monk's staff wouldn't be much protection against the attack. She quickly cracked her whip at the monster root. Kensaki no Muchi dug its knife-like spikes into the wood. Tugging as hard as she could, she slammed it into the dirt.

Lina saw her opening and took it. She charged with her sword above her head. And when she was within striking distance she swung down.

The root stopped its pursuit of Miroku as smoke rose from the stump. "Thanks girls," the monk called as he ran to assist Inuyasha and Koga.

Soon Lina and Kitsune fell into a routine. Kitsune would snag a root from hell with her whip and Lina would chop it off with her sword. This worked for a while, but the wood tentacles seemed to learn from their mistakes. They dodged Kitsune's whip completely now.

"Damn," she sighed, wiping her brow of sweat.

"Smart little fuckers," Lina stated, blocking a baby root from grabbing her leg.

Inuyasha, Koga, and Miroku didn't seem to be having any luck either. There were about twenty roots left. Miroku and Inuyasha were yelling at each other about something while Koga continued to try to get at Naraku. He would dodge one root, swipe his claws at another.

Of course the girls were too busy watching the boys "fight" that they didn't even notice that one of the roots was coming straight for them. From the corner of her eye, Lina saw it approaching. Without thinking she shoved her friend out of the way.

"Humph," Kitsune grunted as she hit the ground. _What the hell, Lina!_ She thought looking up at her. Just as she did, Lina was swept into the air.

_This is gonna hurt_ the air borne warrior thought right before she hit the ground. The air rushed out of her lungs for the second time that week.

"Lina!" Miroku and Kitsune cried. The root that had just assaulted her was going back for seconds. Miroku and Kitsune were unable to aid her because they now had their own problems. Two of the largest wooden tentacles snaked towards them. The monk dodged the attacks left and right, but was still unable to reach his fallen comrade.

Kitsune's whip cracked through the air, as she tried to defend herself against the monstrous root. Lina fought to get her breath back. Her head was throbbing from the impact. Her pursuer was about to be upon her, she had to think fast.

Luckily her sword had landed right next to her. She quickly took Raitou in her right hand. The sword came right back to life. The root started to wrap itself around her leg when she decided it was the right time to strike. With a grunt she chopped at the hellish wood. Knowing that she was now safe she laid back down.

Kitsune had finally gotten a good grip on her root and Koga sliced through it no problem. Inuyasha had aided Miroku with his problem.

"Lina, you okay?" Kitsune asked, trying to catch her breath. Lina didn't say anything, but instead lifted her hand with a thumbs up sign. Her friend let out a small chuckle. Her friend still had her sense of humor that was for sure.

Suddenly, Kirara appeared flying in the distance with a battle-ready Sango on her back. "Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled releasing her giant weapon. The group heard the familiar sound as they watched the giant boomerang fly through the air, splintering one of the giant roots.

"Sango!" Shippo and Kagome yelled looking up at the demon slayer.

Sango jumped off of Kirara who immediately walked over to protect Kagome and Shippo.

"Sango is here?" Miroku said taking his guard off of Naraku's possessed roots.

"This is still my fight!" Sango said, again releasing her weapon, this time aiming for the center of the mass.

Kitsune had to admit that she was happy for the extra help, but she knew her friend would be highly disappointed. Lina didn't look too concerned though as she ran around Naraku's protective wooden cocoon looking for a week spot.

"Everyone, keep hitting the same spot!" Inuyasha yelled out. "If we break through the roots guarding Naraku he'll be vulnerable…and then that bastard's mine!" Inuyasha said gripping tighter to his Tessaiga.

The group complied, with the exception of Miroku and Koga who were more determined to kill all of the roots that were attacking them once and for all.

Kitsune saw as a large root twisted around Koga's thigh. Before he could do anything she snapped her whip towards the root, allowing it to wrap around, and pulled with all of her strength, breaking the root in half.

"I don't need your help, focus on Naraku!" Koga snapped at her.

She was immediately angered by his attitude. What happened to the sweet Koga that held her hand before? Her anger worked to her advantage as she began lashing Kensaki no Muchi towards the same spot Sango had hit with her Hiraikotsu.

While watching the movement of Naraku's never-ending roots, Lina got a brilliant idea. After many, relentless strikes from Sango and Kitsune, she finally saw her chance.

She allowed one of the largest roots to grab her around her waist. It flung her around the air and violently shook her like a baby playing with a rattle. As the root began to lift her higher into the air, Lina was only a few feet from Naraku's strong barricade and the small hole Sango and Kitsune had made.

With Raitou in her hands, Lina wielded her weapon towards the hole. She felt a strong sensation from the center of her body that tingled through to the tips of her fingers and toes. It was as if all of her body's energy was leaving her and exiting through the tip of her sword. The bright yellow lightening hit the wood of Naraku's barrier, splitting it open.

"Inuyasha, NOW!" Lina yelled as the root violently flung her around like a rag doll.

"WIND SCAR!" Inuyasha yelled releasing his sword's powerful attack. The attack hit Naraku head on, and in a flash of light it disintegrated his powerful roots.

Lina hit the ground hard. She glanced up, shielding her eyes from the flash. When she looked up she noticed that there was nothing under the baboon façade Naraku was wearing. Miroku, who rushed to Lina's side, noticed the same thing.

"Guys that isn't Naraku!" Miroku yelled making everyone's heads flash towards him. "It's only a puppet!" Miroku yelled throwing a sacred sutra at the baboon suit floating in the air. When it made contact, the suit began vibrating and what looked a hundred demons rushed out, covering the sky with a thick, black and purple miasma that made the air turn ice cold.

"DAMNIT!" Inuyasha yelled punching the ground so hard that the surrounding rocks flew in the air.

"I thought we actually had him this time; how foolish!" Koga growled clenching his fists.

Kitsune felt terrible for the obvious pain this was causing her comrades, but she was more concerned with the hundred demons lurking in the sky above her. They all had long, snake-like bodies and they ranged in colors. Some had faces that resembled fearsome dragons while others had faces that reminded Kitsune of flies.

"Inuyasha?" Lina asked questioning the group's next move.

"These are weaker demons; we shouldn't have any problem killing them. Use them as target practice for all I care," Inuyasha scoffed. He was clearly devastated by the evil trap Naraku had set up with the help of his demon puppet.

"We want your souls!" the demons all said in unison. They began falling down upon the group like deadly rain drops.

Despite their extreme exhaustion, the girls didn't think twice about their counter attack. They grabbed their weapons and immediately began slicing the lesser demons into smaller chunks.

Lina didn't even need to use her lightning strikes; it took too much of her energy, plus these demons were anything but challenging. There were just so many of them.

Kitsune looked over to see Koga slicing demons into long strips as they tried to attack his legs. The demons were simply surrounding the girls and the others, but they were swarming Koga ruthlessly.

"We want your sacred jewel shards wolf-demon. They're ours to bring back to our master!" the demons hissed.

"Over my dead body!" Koga snarled easily killing any demon that took him on.

After killing what felt like a thousand demons, the group could finally settle down. Lina and Kitsune collapsed on the ground, sweat dripping off their heads. Lina raised her arm in some kind of victory stance.

"We are officially demon slayers," she said making Kitsune laugh.

"C'mon we might as well check out the inside of the castle before we settle down," Inuyasha stated. Lina got up but Kitsune refused.

"Hell no Inuyasha. I have walked like 50 miles today, twisted my damn ankle, killed like 500 demons, plus, I practically got raped by wolf-demons! And have you forgotten the fact that Lina got shot the other day? How is she ever supposed to heal?" Kitsune said with a fair amount of attitude.

Lina walked over to Koga and punched him in the back of the head. "How did you let her almost get RAPED!?"Lina yelled scolding Koga as if he was a puppy that just peed on the carpet.

"How was I supposed to know she was coming after me!? Plus, it's not like my men get to see cute girls that often," Koga said thoughtfully.

"That's so excuse!" Lina yelled with her hands on her hips.

Kitsune smiled at the sounds of her friend sticking up for her. If Lina had known earlier that Kitsune had put herself in such a dangerous position she would have scolded her instead of Koga. She was glad he was getting the brunt of it.

"Kitsune look out!" Inuyasha yelled all of a sudden. One of the demons that had escaped from Naraku's puppet had been hiding in the shadows waiting to strike. It shot a huge ball of black and purple electric energy out of its mouth and it was headed straight for the lounging Kitsune.

In a flash, Koga was in front of the vulnerable slayer. He threw his body over hers and the deadly energy blast hit him directly in the back. In a howl of pain, Koga struggled to get up but couldn't. Kitsune watched, fear on her face as Koga's eyes clouded over. He fell unconscious.

"WINDSCAR!" Inuyasha yelled, disintegrating the demon immediately.

Koga's body laid lifeless on top of Kitsune. Lina ran over with a look of terror that had to have matched the look on Kitsune's face.

Miroku was the first to react. He gently pulled Koga off of Kitsune and laid him flat on the ground. The blast had made it through his armor and left a black burn mark on his charred flesh.

"Koga!" Kagome yelled running to the wolf-demon's side. Koga's eye barely opened and he groaned.

"Oh Kagome…don't worry about me," he said weakly.

"You heard him Kagome, he's gonna be fine," Inuyasha said with a soft voice; he actually sounded sympathetic to his temporary ally. Kagome smiled and put her hand on top of Koga's.

"What are we all just sitting here for, we have to do something!" Kitsune said in a panicked tone. All of her previous ailments had passed away and now she was only focused on the wounded wolf-demon. If he hadn't jumped out to save her he wouldn't be in this position.

Miroku and Inuyasha pulled Koga to a small clearing next to the castle where Kagome had already begun to start a fire. Kitsune rolled up one of her shirts to place under Koga's head.

"We have to go check for more demons before we settle down for the rest of the night," Lina said to the group. She was absolutely exhausted and her shoulder had begun to throb, but they couldn't have another demon sneaking up on them. Next time one of them could end up being hurt worse, or even killed.

"It will only take a couple minutes if we don't find anything," Miroku said smiling at Kitsune. He could tell that she was reluctant to leave Koga.

"I can stay with him," Kagome said; she could sense that Kitsune was worried as well. Kitsune nodded her head and started to walk away.

She felt a hand grab around her foot and looked down to see Koga's hand wrapped tightly around her, stopping her from leaving. "Kitsune can stay here and rest with Koga while we go. Hopefully we won't need her help," Lina said softly as she picked up Raitou.

The group followed Lina into the castle but they weren't gone for long. When they came back they saw Kitsune diligently sitting by Koga with his hand on her lap; she hadn't moved an inch since they left.

"They look like they've gotten…closer," Sango said to Miroku as they stood a ways back from the campsite. Everyone else was just starting to get settled into their positions for sleep.

"When you are constantly fighting for your life you tend to get closer to people. You never know when you many never see that person again," Miroku said sitting on a stump. He was exhausted, but he knew if he was going to talk to Sango he had to keep his distance from the rest of the group.

"Is that what we had Miroku? Were we only close because of circumstance, because I refuse to believe that," Sango said in a determined tone.

Sango was a fighter…but Miroku had grown tired of the battle a long time ago. Miroku placed his hand on Sango's. "Maybe that is the case Sango," he said matter-of-factly.

"No…it's because of that girl Miroku! You have been acting like this ever since she came here! What is it about her that I don't have? S-she's rude and crude and doesn't think twice before making a decision that would affect everyone. She is ruining what we have," Sango said, her eyes swelling with tears.

Out of pure instinct the monk grabbed Sango and held her close. He truly had loved and needed her once, but at this moment he didn't feel the same. Yes Lina was…different, but she made Miroku feel all of the things that he used to believe were good about him, while lately Sango only ever brought out the bad.

He wished that he could say that to the weeping Sango, but he didn't have the strength. _I'm sorry Lina…I wish I could be that strong for you_ Miroku thought with a solemn look on his face.

"Sango…let's go to sleep," Miroku finally stated. Seeing and hearing Sango cry was weighing too heavily on his conscious. The two finally joined the rest of the snoozing group.


	10. Troubles

Lina lay on her back with her eyes wide open. She sensed that it was probably around 4 a.m. She hadn't been able to sleep since she had heard Sango and Miroku's conversation. If Lina wasn't so interested in what the monk had to say she would have walked over and knocked Sango out for talking about her the way she did.

_It's not my fault Sango's man likes me…maybe she should be nicer and he wouldn't be such a lecher._ Lina's mind was ablaze with anger for both of them and it was not only keeping her awake, but it was creating a deep throbbing in her head as well.

"I'm sorry you had to hear all of that," a deep voice stated.

"Koga, you're ok!" Lina whispered into the cool night air.

"Yea I am, but will you tell Kitsune that? I was worried she wouldn't even go to sleep," Koga said looking over to his companion who had fallen fast asleep beside him.

Lina could still hear the weakness in his voice and his wound on his back looked even worse in the dark. "It's too hard to sleep with this pain…plus with all that ruckus over there with the monk…well…you know," Koga said trailing off at the end.

"I wish neither of us had heard it," Lina said, angered again by the reminder of what she heard.

"It's pretty messed up, I'll give you that. All that back and forth between you two; leading the other on," Koga said.

"Oh, like you do with Kagome and Kitsune," Lina snapped back.

Koga chuckled. "That's different. Kagome doesn't reciprocate my feelings," he said making sense.

"I'm just angry," Lina stated honestly. "He didn't even stick up for me! He allowed her to say all that and didn't even say anything back! At the village the other day he told me all these nice things and he couldn't think of one to say," Lina stated feeling angry tears begin to surface.

"I guess when you like more than one woman it's too much of a hassle to pick one. It's easier to just be neutral because you don't want to break one of their hearts and you are too afraid of getting your heart broken," Koga said quietly.

It was the first time Lina had heard the demon show any type of emotion. She wished Kitsune was secretly awake to hear it, but her friend was so deep in sleep that she was snoring. She understood what Koga had said but it was still so hard to just forget.

"We both need sleep to recover from everything, if we don't the whole group will leave us tomorrow," Koga said, wincing from the pain as he tried to get comfortable. Lina listened to Koga and closed her eyes, finally able to drift off into sleep.

Lina woke up to sounds of people starting their mornings. She rubbed her eyes and looked around to see everyone was busy with some activity. She must have slept in so late because she practically didn't get to sleep until the sun was almost out.

"There she is," Kitsune said cheerfully when she saw her friend stretch and yawn.

"We thought you may have died in your sleep. I was even yelling in your ear and you didn't budge," Inuyasha said with his arms crossed.

"I had a hard time falling asleep last night," Lina said thinking back to her night.

She didn't see Miroku anywhere and if she did, she would be giving him the coldest death stare she could muster up.

"Ouch!" Koga yelled out. He had his armor all the way off and Kitsune was putting medicine that Kagome brought on his wound.

"Stop being a baby about it, it will help," she said sounding annoyed.

"I _told_ you I'm a demon! I can heal faster than anyone here; I don't need that witch-craft!" Koga cried out like a child. Kitsune shot Lina an annoyed look making her giggle.

Lina had so much she wanted to talk to her best friend about but they wouldn't have the chance until they were alone. Just then Lina felt something that made her lose track of all of her thoughts. It was a hand, cupping and squeezing her left butt cheek.

_That's it_ Lina thought as she whipped her hand around to the monk's face. _WHACK!_

_Uh-oh_ Kitsune thought as she watched Lina smack the shit out of Miroku. No one smacks like that over a simple butt squeeze. She could sense something was very wrong with her friend.

"Owie, Lina, whatever was that for?" Miroku said rubbing his very red slap-mark.

"You know what that was for," Lina said darkly. To Kitsune it looked as if her friend had a dark aura around her; her anger was so obvious that it was almost tangible.

"Miroku, are you ok, I heard you cry out," Sango said appearing from the castle with water.

"Why do you only do things like that when Sango is around!?" Lina asked Miroku referring to the butt-squeeze.

"What is she talking about Miroku?" Sango asked already sounding angry.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Miroku's voice quivered. He wasn't sure who he was more afraid of.

"Of course you know what I'm talking about! By the way Miroku, I could hear you and Sango talking last night," Lina said in a hurt voice.

Miroku looked down, his whole demeanor changing.

"You may think I'm rude _Sango_ but at least I'm a better friend than you! You left the group because you couldn't face your relationship problems, well maybe if you weren't so angry all the time, Miroku wouldn't grab everyone girls' ass! And _you_, how could you not stick up for me? You let her say all those things about me and you didn't have the guts to tell her how you really feel. Well, I don't know how I feel about you anymore," Lina said finally allowing angry tears to escape.

She took off in a sprint towards the castle walls.

"Lina!" Kitsune yelled standing up.

"I'll go after her," Miroku said in a calm voice. He looked guilty.

"Oh no you will not," Sango said grabbing on to Miroku. She still looked and sounded slightly shocked from being told off.

"Sango, I have to," Miroku said pulling her hand off of him. He took off after Lina in a sprint.

_What are we going to do about this?_ Kitsune asked herself putting her hand to her head. Fighting demons was less stressful than this.

"Oh great…Just what we need!" Inuyasha said snarling. The look on his face showed that he could smell something approaching.

"Oh shit," Koga said trying to get up.

Kitsune held him down. "What are you doing, you're injured. Why are you trying to run away? What's coming?" Kitsune asked Koga in a shrill voice. She was worried that something could make Koga so scared. What kind of fearsome demon could be coming their way?

Just then a whirlwind appeared and a girl was standing before them with four wolves behind her.

"Oh no, Koga! I came as soon as I heard you were injured. Don't worry, I'm here now," the girl stated running over to Koga, pushing the confused Kitsune over in the process.

"Oh…hi there Ayame," Kagome said with a smile on her face.

_AYAME!?_ Kitsune thought with a look of horror on her face.

"WHAT IS THIS A FREAKIN' SOAP OPERA!?" Inuyasha shouted in anger. He walked off into the woods mumbling something about 'never defeating Naraku at this pace'.


	11. Choices

Lina didn't make it very far. She held onto a tree right outside of the castle gates. It was the only thing keeping her from collapsing to the ground. Sobs escaped her as she tried to wipe away the never ending tears.

What was she doing? Why was she doing this to herself? Lina was starting to believe that Miroku didn't care about anyone. The monk wanted to only benefit himself. And nothing was off limits, not even Lina's feelings.

So why should she care about what Miroku did or did not do? He obviously didn't care about her, or they wouldn't be in this predicament. Lina let out a long deep breath, finally calming herself. The flow of tears started to slow when she heard someone approaching.

"Lina!" she heard the monk call out.

"Just leave me alone you lecher," she demanded. She didn't dare to look back towards Miroku for she feared she would begin to cry again.

"Lina, please. I'm sorry I didn't stick up for you. It was wrong of me," Miroku stated. She could tell that he was only inches behind her. "I should have told Sango how I felt, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it," he sighed, placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder.

"And why is that, monk?" Lina spat. She also refused to use his name. This man would be the end of her. Sango would be the end of her. She felt like she was losing her sanity.

Lina at one time felt like this was all a fantasy; a dream. But know she was starting to realize that this was a nightmare. A nightmare she wouldn't be free of until Naraku was dead, or Sango ceased to exist. The latter was never going to happen, so her best shot was killing Naraku.

"Because I do not wish to hurt her. She's had enough of that in her life time," Miroku whispered.

"Haven't we all," Lina sighed.

"Ayame, what the hell are you doing here? How did you know where we were?" Koga questioned, as he tried to push the child-like girl off of him.

The red-headed, pig-tailed wolf-demon stood about 5'4" in height with stunning emerald eyes. There was a pure white pelt covering her shoulders like a shawl and she wore the same pelt as a skirt. If Kitsune didn't know better she would have thought Ayame was about 15 years old; and not in a good way.

"I always know where you are silly," she replied with a smile. "And I couldn't stay away knowing my poor Koga was injured, and in need of my help," Ayame added.

"He was doing just fine without you," Kitsune murmured.

Ayame turned her attention to the demon slayer she had just pushed out of her way. "And who are you? I've never seen you before," the girl wolf-demon demanded. She crossed her arms and wrinkled her nose as she looked Kitsune over.

"This is Kitsune, she's a reincarnated demon-slayer. So don't be rude Ayame," Koga interjected. He could sense Kitsune's aggravation and didn't want to fuel it more than needed.

"It's nice to meet you. It's strange though. Koga never talked about you," Kitsune stated, eyeing the girl-demon back.

"Hmm, well that's weird because he is my husband-to-be after all," Ayame retorted. It was obvious that she wasn't pleased by the way she glared at her and Koga.

"Ayame, I'm fine. You really don't need to be here right now," Koga stated. Even though he had only been wounded last night, he felt pretty good. His body never let him down when it came to healing.

Koga had put his armor back on. He felt uncomfortable being half-naked in front of all these women about to fight over him. Ayame still had her arms crossed. He had a feeling that it wasn't going to be an easy task getting rid of his so-called fiancé.

"Ayame, I'm serious. You need to leave. We have to figure out our next move and head out as soon as possible," the wolf-demon said with a low growl.

"Are you crazy, there's no way we are leaving today," Kitsune interrupted. "You're still too injured," she added.

"And I'm not leaving until you're all better," Ayame pointed out.

_Great, why did I have to open my big mouth_ Kitsune thought to herself. Koga's fiancé hadn't even been there ten minutes and she already wanted to bash her face in. No wonder he never talked about her, because the only thing he could say was, "Yeah the girl I'm supposed to marry is an annoying little brat."

"Ayame, go back to the den," Koga sighed. He was starting to get annoyed.

"No!" she replied, stomping her foot.

"You might want to listen to him," Kagome chimed in finally. She was beginning to get annoyed as well at this point.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Kag-o-me," Ayame retorted. She had her hands balled up into fists. She didn't like the fact that everyone was ganging up on her. It bothered her more that nobody wanted her around.

"Whoa, there's no reason to get your panties in a twist, I mean, that is if you wear any," Kitsune started. "Koga made it clear that he doesn't want you here," she added.

A smile was playing at Koga's lips. There was something about the way Kitsune was standing up to Ayame. The girl wolf-demon was used to getting what she wanted; it had been that way since she was little. She wanted Koga and she wouldn't give up even though he never wanted anything to do with her since he had met Kagome.

Sure, Koga had promised to marry Ayame when they were kids, but he never really meant it. After he met Kagome his perspective had changed. He always thought he had to love another wolf-demon. Yeah, sure it was tradition, but it didn't have to be that way. And watching Kitsune stick up for him made him realize that even more.

"Koga! Are you going to let her talk to me like that!?" Ayame shrieked.

_Oh my God, I'm going to murder her_ Kitsune thought. Just the sound of the little girl's voice was starting to piss her off.

"Ayame, go back to your tribe. That's an order," Koga demanded. He was not going to back down on this. She didn't belong out here.

"Fine!" she huffed. "And this isn't over," Ayame glared at Kitsune before turning into a whirl-wind and running out of the gated castle.

"No, it's far from over," Kitsune whispered, as she watched the dust settle.

"It was never my intention to hurt you, Lina," Miroku stated. He still had his hand on her shoulder. She wanted to believe him. She really did. But how could she be sure that he meant it. For all she knew, the monk could be playing both Sango and her.

There was a part of Lina that trusted Miroku. He had protected her, he had fought demons with her. The monk couldn't be as horrible as she thought he was at the moment. Circumstances had changed and it hadn't made Miroku look very virtuous.

"Miroku, I want to trust you. But Sango and I are in the same boat; we really can't believe anything you say," Lina expressed. "You're going to have to pick, and soon. I can't wait for you forever, but I can give you time to think," she added. Even though she hated to do it, she felt that it was necessary.

Miroku and Sango had been together for a long time now. And that's not just something you give up without thinking about it.

The monk was at a loss for words. Despite everything that had happened, she had the decency to give him time to really think about what he wanted.

"Lina, come on. Let's go back," Miroku started. She finally turned to face the monk. He took in her tear streaked face; Lina's face. At that moment he knew that he couldn't make any decisions just yet. He wanted to experience as much as he could of Lina before he announced anything.

"Alright, let's go—" she began, but was interrupted by lips caressing hers. She fought it at first, by pushing against the monk's chest. But after a few heated moments, she gave in to him.

Miroku wrapped his arms around Lina and pressed her closer to his body. He wanted to take her all in. Her taste; her smell. It was hard for the warrior to deny her feelings for the monk in the moment.

She felt like everything was right in the world when he held her. Lina could almost believe it too, but she knew that this was just a Band-Aid covering the hurt underneath; Miroku's hurt and hers.

"That was a pleasant surprise," Kagome sighed. The Ayame ordeal had left everyone feeling exhausted, well the people who were still at the camp at least. Inuyasha had walked off when Ayame had first arrived and he hadn't returned yet. Lina and Miroku were still missing.

Kitsune couldn't even imagine how that was going. It could go one of two ways: Lina was beating the shit out of the lecherous monk, or they had made up. And you know what they say about making up; it's the best part about arguing.

"I don't think pleasant is the right word," Kitsune retorted. She wasn't going to lie though, she was relieved when she had heard the way Koga had talked to his "fiancé." There had been no affection, no love. And it helped that he didn't want her to stay either. This made Kitsune realize that there must be something between her and Koga then. Because the wolf-demon had never spoken to her that way.

"I would have to say that I agree completely," Sango chimed in. She looked worried while she hung up clothes on a clothesline that ran to the side of the castle.

_Insecurity doesn't not look well on you, Sango_ Kitsune thought with a smile playing on her lips. It was as if the woman knew that Miroku had a chance of picking Lina out of the two and that she never really had a chance.

"Where the hell is everyone?" Koga questioned. He apparently had moved past the whole Ayame drama and was ready to get back to the business at hand. "We need to figure out our next move," he added.

"Whoa there big boy. I was serious when I said there's no way we are leaving today," Kitsune said sternly.

"Who do you think you are? My mother? Plus Naraku never takes a break so we can't!" Koga exclaimed. At this point his whining antics was starting to make him look like a child.

"It's going to be okay if we just take at least one day to rest up. I mean everyone could use it. Lina is still suffering from being shot with that arrow, Kitsune still has a busted up ankle which is still pretty swollen, and I understand that you're feeling better, but Koga face it, you're not in any condition to face Naraku," Kagome explained. Sympathy was plain on her face.

"You're not in a condition to face any demons for that matter," Inuyasha called as he walked back towards the group.

"What did you just say, mutt-breath?" Koga growled.

"You heard me, you flea-ridden wolf!" Inuyasha countered. His hands clenched into fists_. _

_Not this again_ Kitsune sighed in her mind.

"Can't we all just get along, guys?" Lina called as her and Miroku walked back into camp. Lina seemed to be back to her old self, but there was something different about the monk. He seemed to be pondering something deep inside himself.

"No!" Koga and Inuyasha exclaimed at the same time.

"At least they can agree on something," Shippo laughed.

Everything settled down as the group cooked some lunch over the campfire. While Inuyasha was gone, he had caught some fish from a nearby river. He had explained that even though everything around the castle seemed to be tainted by Naraku's aura, the river was untouched by his evil, which made Lina a little less worried about eating the trout.

During lunch an unspoken agreement was made. They would head out to the next closest village in the morning. The demon-puppet had thrown off the group from Naraku's trail. But one thing was sure, he was up to something. And he was trying to distract his hunting party with demon magic.

_Pussy_ Lina and Kitsune thought when they had realized what had happened. They all hoped that they would pick up the trail again when they had reached the next village. Hopefully there was someone that had heard of Naraku's doings and would lead them in the direction. If not they would push on to the next village and hope for the same. It was some kind of sick game, and it would have to go on until they found the bastard again.

Lina had noticed Kitsune and Koga sitting rather close together while they picked at their fish on a stick. This brought a smile to her face. Her friend needed someone in this time period besides her.

Kitsune had never really had any boyfriends back home. She was always too caught up with school or her best friend. There was nothing wrong with that, but it was just nice to see her connect so well with the wolf-demon.

Lina looked over at Miroku who sat farther away from the group. No San-hoe tumor attached to him which surprised her. _San-hoe, I'm going to have to tell that one to_ _Kitsune_ she laughed to herself. What troubled her was the serious look upon the monks face. He was thinking about the decision he had to make soon. Lina could tell and that made her more nervous than anything.


	12. To the Future

Miroku hadn't even touched his trout. He had more important things to worry about than eating. The monk looked to see Sango staring at him intensely. He let out a sigh and turned his attention to Lina. She seemed to be studying Kitsune and Koga with a smile on her face.

Miroku let out another sigh. He cared for the young warrior, but she was independent, and could handle herself. Sango was strong as well and that was for sure. As strong as the powerful demon-slayer was, it worried him how she would be if he decided to leave her. It was different with Sango. They had needed each other for so long and there was a time he thought he couldn't survive without her.

The monk didn't have to be cautious of how he acted around Lina because she was so open and understanding. She understood his faults, but didn't use them against him. Sango seemed to be offended by his faults and used them against him almost every day.

Like last night he thought about how tired he was of the battles. The battles between him and Sango; the fight for his life, and Naraku. Lina distracted him of all that. She made him feel like he didn't have to fight for his life every second of every day.

Miroku looked down at the wind tunnel that would consume him one day. The only way to change his future was to kill Naraku, the one who had placed this curse upon his family. And the only way to kill Naraku was with both Lina and Sango fighting by his side.

They were both skilled demon-slayers and he was in a predicament that threatened their mission. If he picked Lina, Sango would leave indefinitely. If he picked Sango, Lina may leave. There was a chance, no matter how slim that Lina would stay because of Kitsune. Miroku yet again let out a sigh. He was at a loss.

"Miroku, if you keep sighing like that you're going to bring the whole group down," Shippo stated staring at the monk. He may have been a young demon, but he had been around the group long enough to tell when some relationship drama was going on, especially between Miroku and Sango.

The monk was caught off guard and when he looked up he saw the whole group staring at him. He had to think of something fast. "Um…I was just thinking that Mushin's temple is not too far from here and the next village. It would be good to see him," he stated thinking on his feet.

The statement was true; he had been thinking of his mentor a lot lately since his love-troubles began.

"You don't have to be sad about it Miroku, of course we can visit Mushin. Why didn't you ask earlier?" Kagome stated.

"I didn't want to distract our mission is all," Miroku responded mustering up a smile.

"I don't want to go see that old drunk. Last time we were there I had to clean his whole temple," Inuyasha said with a mouth half-full of fish.

"Ignore Inuyasha. We can head there in the morning and I am sure he will have a nice place for us to sleep," Kagome said cheerfully. Any opportunity she could get to sleep in an actual room was worth taking, even if it meant taking a break from hunting Naraku.

Kitsune thought that it would be nice to meet some new people and be social. Hunting Naraku began to seem a little obsessive after a while.

"Lina you missed meeting the oh-so-lovely Ayame," Kitsune said finishing her delicious trout.

"Who?" Lina asked quizzically.

"Koga's fiancé," Inuyasha stated plainly.

"His what?" Lina said wide-eyed.

Kitsune shook her head; where had her friend been this whole time?

"How do you have a fiancé?" Lina asked growing more confused by the second.

Koga let out a deep sigh. "I rescued her from demons when she was a little girl and I guess I told her that when she was done training in the mountains I would marry her. She said I promised, but I don't remember ever saying that word. Her grandpa is the chief and everyone seems to think that I should marry her to strengthen the tribe. She's too damn persistent," Koga stated.

"Why would she think you were actually going to marry her, she was just a little kid when you said that….how dumb," Lina said twirling the stick her fish had been on.

"THANK YOU!" Koga said, happy that someone understood.

Kitsune looked down at the ground. She couldn't stand Ayame but she had to admit that she felt sorry for her. _I would be a brat too if I loved someone that didn't love me back_ Kitsune thought deeply.

"Hey monk, how far is it to that temple you were talking about?" Koga asked after a couple minutes of silence.

"We would be there around mid-day. Definitely before the sun sets," Miroku stated.

"I say we leave now," Koga said. He felt much better and even despite the smell of roasted fish, the smell of Naraku was starting to wear on him.

"I'm ok with that. I'm bored to tears sitting here anyway," Inuyasha said leaning against a tree. Everyone had to admit that the fish had given them a new energy that no one had that morning.

"I don't know Koga…," Kitsune said. She had to admit that she wanted to sleep in a nice place too but she didn't want something to happen on their travels and Koga be useless because of injuries.

"Lighten up Kitsune, my back was hurt, not my legs," Koga said. His tone was mean but the look in his eyes was playful.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Lina said picking herself up off the log she had been sitting on. She dusted her kimono off and stuck Raitou securely in her sash. The others got up and began to pack up their camp site, making sure to put out the fire before they left.

As the group walked towards the monk Mushin's temple, Lina and Kitsune took up the rear so they could talk.

"It's been too long since we have had girl talk," Lina said earning a nod from Kitsune.

"Hey wolf-boy, dog-boy," turn off your hearing, we're having girl talk back here," Kitsune shouted, getting a few annoyed looks from the two. Lina went on to explain to Kitsune everything that had happened with Miroku and Sango.

"I can't believe she said those things about you," Kitsune said referring to Sango who was leading group.

"I can't believe Miroku kissed you like that either," she added raising her eyebrow at her friend.

"What?" Lina asked seeing the look on her friend's face.

"You are so mad at him yet you let him kiss you like that? Hmm," Kitsune said with a smile. Lina's face grew slightly pink.

"What was I supposed to do!? He's too good of a kisser to push him away. I might as well enjoy it," Lina said matter-of-factly.

"So no tongue though?" Kitsune asked interested.

"Not yet," Lina said giggling.

This was too much for the teenagers to handle and they began a giggling fit.

"Are you girls alright back there?" Kagome asked turning around.

"We're fine, thanks Kagome," Kitsune said gathering her composure.

"So when are you going to get to find out if Koga's tail is real or not," Lina said.

"What are you talking about?" Kitsune asked confused.

"You know," Lina said winking.

Now it was Kitsune's turn to go red in the face. "W-what? Why would you even think that?" Kitsune said trying to hide her face.

"I was watching you two. You have been pretty close lately," Lina said smugly.

"Just focus on Miroku and Sango won't ya?" Kitsune said in an embarrassed huff.

"Oh speaking of, I made a new name for Sango. I'm going to call her Sang-hoe," Lina stated causing an even louder rupture of laughter than the one before.

"Those two are like hyenas back there," Koga said earning an "Indeed" from Miroku.


	13. Hot Spring

It wasn't long at all before the group arrived at a peaceful temple on a hill. It was very different than all the other places the group had stayed. This time they were here because of leisure, not demon slaying.

"Master Mushin, it's me Miroku!" Miroku yelled. It was the first real smile Lina had seen him have all day. Even though she was still frustrated with him she had to admit that it brought a smile to her face to see the monk so happy.

"What are you yelling for? He's probably passed out drunk already," Inuyasha said scratching his ear.

"You guys are going to love it here. There's a hot spring and nice crisp sheets to sleep with," Kagome said with stars in her eyes.

Eventually an old, fat monk walked out. He had sleepy eyes and a red nose, but he welcomed Miroku with open arms. "Mushin, this is Lina, Kitsune, and Koga. They are helping us in our quest to defeat Naraku," Miroku said pointing to the three.

"Well….those two are really attractive, but I'm not so sure about the third one," the monk said squinting.

"I'm not a female you drunk!" Koga said balling up his fist.

Inuyasha let out a chuckle, "Maybe it's your dainty features," he said smugly.

"Do you want me to kill you right here you useless mutt?" Koga said almost too calmly.

"Mushin, may we all stay here tonight?" Kagome said interrupting the spat between the two guys beside her.

"Of course Kagome. There are a couple of rooms empty. I have had some students leave recently. Come Miroku, walk with me and I will have someone show your friends to their rooms," the old monk said.

Miroku followed his old master and guardian down the halls of his temple. They walked to a room that had nothing in it but a bed, a bottle of sake, and two cups. Mushin sat down in front of the bottle of sake and motioned for Miroku to join him.

He poured himself a cup and Miroku a cup and passed it to him. "Now…tell me what is on your mind," Mushin said taking a small sip. Miroku sighed. Mushin practically raised him as his own son and he could always tell when something was wrong.

"It's my love-life, not my wind tunnel," Miroku stated.

Mushin let out a loud, hearty laugh. "The wind tunnel I can repair, the love life, maybe not," he said in between laughs.

Miroku sighed again and his voice came out in a whine, "I don't know what to do!"

"Lina is beautiful and fearless and eases the pain I have with all of these battles, but Sango and I have such history and I'm too afraid to hurt her. If I hurt Sango she will leave the group in our time of need and if I hurt Lina she might leave as well. Lina makes me want to be happy and on some level, I need her more than she needs me. At the same time…if I jeopardize our mission in any way I would have that on my conscious forever," Miroku stated.

Mushin took a big, deep breath in. "Ask yourself this my boy, would you rather live a fool's life in pretend happiness, or die knowing what true happiness means?" he asked studying Miroku's facial expression.

Miroku's eyes narrowed in understanding as he took his first sip of the sake. He definitely needed it.

_Hot spring hot spring hot spring_ was all that kept going on in Lina's head. She was so looking forward to the hot, soothing water. She knew it would relax her and she deserved to be relaxed after the past days she had.

Miroku disappeared with Mushin a while ago, Inuyasha and Koga were out searching the perimeters, Sango escaped the group to go on a walk, and Lina, Kitsune, Kagome, and Shippo were getting their rooms ready.

"Ok, we've put the blankets out, now let's go to the hot spring!" Lina said. Kitsune sighed and put her hand on her head. All Lina had done was empty out their backpack all over the floor and thrown some sheets around.

"I'm gonna put my bathing suit on," Lina said as she began to un-do her kimono.

"I-I'm gonna go find Inuyasha," Shippo said running out of the room. Lina kept forgetting that the little fox-demon was a boy.

Kitsune grabbed her bathing suit as well. She wasn't sure why they were putting their swimsuits on when they were just going to take them off in the hot spring, who wears clothes in a spring?

"We would have brought you one Kagome," Kitsune said noticing that Kagome was still sitting there.

"No, it's ok. I practically forgot bathing suits existed," she said with a smile on her face. "You guys are sure going to shock some people though. I don't think anyone has ever seen a swim-suit before," Kagome said looking at the two in their bathing suits. "You know this is a Buddhist temple right?" she asked nervously.

"What, just because they're Buddhists they can't like half-naked women?' Kitsune asked grabbing a towel that had been placed in the room for them.

"I'm pretty sure that's exactly what that means," Kagome said with a small laugh.

"Ok, we're back. Nothing seemed to smell weird so I think we are safe….w-what are you WEARING!?" Inuyasha yelled rounding the corner to see the two demon-slayers in their bathing suits. He jumped behind Kagome, scared of the odd garments.

"Lighten up Inuyasha, it's just a bathing suit!" Kagome said annoyed at Inuyasha's childish behavior.

Shippo let out a scream and went running in the opposite direction.

"Do we look that bad?" Kitsune asked with a concerned look on her face.

Lina had on a white, one-piece that came up extremely high on her hips, exposing her long legs. Kitsune had on a red one-piece with a low, sloping back.

Koga was frozen in place at what he saw. He had never seen women so fully exposed out in the open like that. If there weren't so many people around he would have already pounced as if he was attacking delicious prey.

Half a bottle of sake later, Miroku sat in the dark room with master Mushin who had already fallen into a drunken sleep. He had to admit that his women-problems didn't seem like such a big deal anymore. It was either his master's sound advice or the sake. _Probably the sake~~_ he hummed to himself.

Upon hearing all the commotion Miroku got up and stumbled out of the room towards Inuyasha and Shippo's voices. Miroku came clumsily around the corner only to come face-to-face with two half-naked women.

"Where have you been Miroku?" Lina asked. He couldn't answer her. His eyes were rapidly moving around her body. All he saw was butt, stomach, legs, breasts, and butt. It was too much for him to handle and the group watched as the monk passed out, landing hard on his back outside of the room.

"Miroku!' Lina called as she ran over to him.

"I'm pretty sure you're the reason he fainted," Inuyasha said walking over to the red-faced, fainted monk who had stars in his eyes.

"It probably doesn't help that he's drank half his weight in sake. He smells like a gambling den," Koga said covering his nose.

Lina couldn't help but laugh. Miroku, the virtuous Buddhist was wasted. Kitsune let out a laugh too; the sight of Lina's body was just too much for his drunk mind to handle. Maybe it was what he needed to figure his whole Lina/Sango thing out.

"Like master like student I suppose," Kagome said with a smile on her face.

"Maybe we should splash him with water," Shippo suggested.

"No, I think he just needs to sleep it off for a while," Lina laughed.

"Liinaaa," Miroku said in a weak voice. She didn't go over to him because she knew that a butt-rub was waiting for her. Koga and Inuyasha moved Miroku's limp body into the room so he could sleep off his drunkenness.

"We're going to the hot spring!" Lina said with determination in her voice. The sun had just gone down and it was a pretty cool night for summer. Kagome and Kitsune followed her to a natural hot spring that had a make-shift wall to separate the men's and women's side.

"If I know Mushin, there's probably a hole in this wall somewhere," Kagome warned the girls. It didn't seem to bother Lina as she jumped right in off of a rock into the hot water.

"Hot, hot!' she yelled scrambling out.

"Why do you think it's called a _hot _spring, not a warm spring?" Kitsune said laughing. She got in slowly, learning from her friend's mistake. The girls eventually all removed their clothing and put it all in a large pile. They sunk into the hot water with their eyes closed in relaxation.

On the other side, the guys had finally gotten in the hot spring. The last thing Koga wanted to do was bond with mutt-breath, but he eventually gave in to the healing powers of the steaming water. It was what the whole group needed.

"Hey, look at who finally sobered up," Inuyasha stated as he saw Miroku come into view. He had his hand on his head and looked embarrassed.

"The last thing I remember is taking a sip of sake with Master Mushin. I'm not normally like that," he said laughing.

"So you don't remember seeing Lina half-naked?" Koga asked making Miroku's face turn white.

"What!? H-how could that have happened!?" he asked in disbelief.

"It happened right before you passed out dummy," Shippo said narrowing his eyes at the monk.

"They're on the other side right now," Inuyasha said nonchalantly. Miroku quickly disrobed, down to a towel, and jumped in the water with determination.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" Koga asked as the monk swam up and down the make-shift wall.

"When I was a young, curious monk-in-training I bored out a perfect hole in this wall so I could peak at pretty ladies….AH….found it!" Miroku said putting his face against the wall.

"Hey, Kagome's over there! Don't look you perv," Inuyasha yelled swimming over to the lecherous monk.

"Move out of the way monk, let me see," Koga said as he too raced to the wall.

Miroku turned his face towards them and cheekily put his finger up to his lips. "Shh, or else they'll hear us and we'll be dead," he said as the others complied.

He looked out but could only make out the girls' heads.

"I have better eye-sight than you, move out of the way," Inuyasha said as he shoved Miroku.

"Hey, I have the best eye-sight here!" Koga said as he shoved Inuyasha.

"You guys are acting like a bunch of idiots," Shippo said smugly. He was having fun running around the hot spring but all this talk over naked girls was annoying him.

"What was that Shippo?" Inuyasha said balling up his fist.

"Yea, what gives you the right to say that pip-squeak?" Koga asked.

"They already like you guys and you're sitting here trying to sneak peeks of them like you're all my age." Shippo said.

"He's got a point," Inuyasha said annoyed.

"How do you know they like us, Shippo, tell us what you know that we don't," Miroku demanded.

"Well, when we were walking, they told you two to turn off your demon ears, but they didn't say anything to me and I heard _all_ of it," Shippo stated proudly.

The mood suddenly switched and now the grown men were practically Shippo's slaves.

"Well, Lina told Kitsune about her and Miroku kissing twice and for some reason said that she wanted tongue, which I don't get why or what that even means. And Kitsune basically said that she wanted to see Koga naked because Lina wants to know if his tail is real or not, or something along those lines," Shippo said with a thinking face.

Miroku and Koga gulped. "Wait, you didn't hear Kagome say anything about me?" Inuyasha asked anxiously.

"Inuyasha, you're the biggest idiot of them all! Kagome is obviously in love with you and you never do anything about it. I'm 10 and I can see that," Shippo said sounding more like a 20 year old then a 10 year old. He guarded his head expecting a hit from Inuyasha but he was too into his thoughts.

"Wait so Kitsune wants to see my tail or Lina wants to see my tail?" Koga asked confused.

"Jeeze, do I have to spell it out for you?" Shippo said. He placed a leaf on his head and in a poof turned into Kitsune with her bathing suit on.

"Koga, I want to see you naked," he said in his fake Kitsune voice. Koga reached back and punched the little fox-demon on the head making the image of Kitsune 'poof' away. The little fox's eyes swelled up with tears as he ran out of the hot spring crying for Kagome.


	14. Sake

The group retreated from the hot springs having soaked in them for much too long. Miroku hadn't said anything to Lina yet. He had a lot on his mind, but he wasn't confused anymore. For the first time that day he had a clear head. It was as if talking to his master and being in such a spiritual place had cleared all the fog that was once before his eyes.

While everyone settled and began eating some dinner he left to go find Sango. He knew this temple better than anyone and knew that there were only so many places to hide. He found her kneeling before a shrine with her eyes closed. She had set up a small camp there and Kirara sat by her vigilantly.

"I have been praying a lot too lately," Miroku said kneeling next to Sango. She wasn't shocked at the sound of someone's voice. She knew that the monk would find her eventually.

"I have been asking for Buddha to show me the way. Sango…I couldn't say this before because I didn't want to hurt you, but I just can't stand our battles anymore. We needed each other at one point but we are both stronger people now than we were when we first started our journey. All we have been doing lately is fighting and we have enough fighting in our lives."

"You're right. Everything changed when I met Lina but that is because she has made me see the error of my ways. She accepts me for who I am and I don't have to fight with her. I'm sorry to do this to you Sango, I don't care for you the same way anymore," Miroku said with a deep strength he didn't know he had.

He looked over to see one tear fall out of Sango's eyes as she gripped onto her kimono. Yesterday he would have held her and wiped her tears, but he knew now that he just had to watch. Miroku was still the romantic type, and even though his romance with Sango was over, it was hard to see her in pain.

"W-what about finding Naraku," she asked in between soft breaths.

"It is still both of our destinies to defeat him. I can't take away the pain he's caused you or me. I knew that telling you how I really feel would compromise our mission…but I'd rather be truly happy and die than go on as a safe, unhappy shell of a man," he said sincerely.

"I can't continue on with the group then…not with her there, not right now" Sango said angrily.

"I don't think that it is a good idea for us to go on without you. It's too dangerous Sango. I want the best for you, I really do, but not with me….I'll leave you to think about it," Miroku stood as he said his last words. As he walked away from Sango he didn't feel as sad as he had expected. He felt as if he was a new man. How perfect that this would happen at a shrine. _Thank you Buddha._

Everyone was in much better spirits now that they had rested some. The little vacation had done wonders. Everyone was more prepared to begin the hunt for Naraku once was no wonder why each and every one of them were always so stressed out.

They had all settled down for dinner when Miroku disappeared. No one thought anything of it. _He must have went to find Mushin to let him know that dinner was ready _Lina thought looking at the feast that laid before her. _I bet he's already passed out though _Lina added mentally.

Their host had definitely not spared any expense. There was a roasted pig with an apple in its mouth sitting in the middle of the table. Surrounding it were many plates filled with steamed vegetables, sushi, and other things that Lina didn't recognize.

"There's enough food here to feed an army," Kitsune exclaimed.

"Everything looks so delicious. Mushin out-did himself this time," Kagome added.

"I have no clue what to try first," Shippo stated.

Koga and Inuyasha didn't have much to contribute to the conversation. They were too busy shoving as much food as they could in their mouths. Lina and Kitsune followed their example and started picking out food to put on their plates.

Lina then took a jug that contained some sort of liquid and poured some into her cup. After a few bites, she went to wash it down with a drink, but to her surprise the liquid was not tea like she had expected, but sake. Lina had drank some back home when her mother let her, but Kitsune wasn't really into the whole alcohol thing.

"Kitsune you have to taste this, it's seriously the best tea I've ever had," her friend stated, passing her cup. Without a second thought Kitsune took a giant gulp of the contents.

"What the hell!?" she shrieked.

Kitsune's throat started to burn the moment she swallowed. She quickly started to look for something else to drink. She picked up another jug and began to drink from it, but Lina already knew that it only contained more sake.

She couldn't help but giggle as her friend realized the same thing.

"What's so funny?" Koga asked, finally taking a break from stuffing his face.

"Kitsune's about to get drunk, that's what," Lina smiled, taking a sip of the alcohol herself.

"What do you mean?" the wolf-demon questioned. Koga picked up the jug and sniffed it cautiously. A knowing look spread across his face as he realized what had just happened.

"Why didn't you tell me that was sake?!" Kitsune demanded. Not only was her throat burning at this point, but her stomach was feeling pretty warm as well.

"That wouldn't have been much fun, now would it?" her friend retorted. Kitsune glared at Lina, but it didn't do much good at this point. She had already drunk the equivalent of two shots.

"Well if I'm going to get wasted tonight, I better not be alone," she indicated pouring more of the sake into Lina's cup. Her friend didn't hesitate to comply. She quickly emptied the liquid.

"Don't tell me the rest of you are too afraid of getting out-drunk by a couple girls?" Lina laughed holding the second jug out to Inuyasha.

"Is that a challenge?" the half-demon growled.

"And so what if it is?" Kitsune replied with a smile that said "do it I dare ya".

Inuyasha was not one to back down from a challenge. He poured himself a drink and quickly downed it. Soon after Koga did the same. It took some convincing, but Kitsune and Lina finally talked Kagome into joining the party. It turned into some sort of competition to see who could drink the most. It seemed like only minutes later they were asking for another jug of sake.

"You guys started the festivities without me?" Miroku examined as he entered the dinner hall.

"Well, it's kinda, sorta, technically your fault for taking so long, monk," Koga slurred.

"A-are you drunk?" Miroku questioned the wolf-demon. Never in his life did he think he would witness something like this. Koga drunk? What was this world coming to?

"So what if he is?!" Kitsune giggled, falling over into Lina's lap.

"Not you too, Kitsune," Miroku sighed.

"They all are pretty drunk," Shippo stated. The fox-demon had sat there nervously as he watched the events unfold. He had never seen Inuyasha, Kagome, or Koga for that fact, act in such a way. Shippo had no clue what was happening at the moment.

"Shhh, don't tell him," Kagome said in a hushed tone. She held her index finger against her lips. Inuyasha burst into a laughing fit just from watching Kagome.

"Where's Sango?" Shippo questioned, trying to ignore all the drunk idiots around him.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure whether Sango will be joining us or not anymore," the monk replied.

"Why not," the child fox-demon asked with a look of shock and worry.

"She doesn't want to travel with us anymore. We broke up," Miroku said matter-of-factly.

"But why is the sake gone?" Lina asked looking into her empty cup. It was like he hadn't even spoken.

_What on earth is happening here _Miroku thought as he looked over his companions. The monk had never experienced this in all his days traveling with Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Oh I can help you out there my sister from another mister," Kitsune declared. She sat up from Lina's lap and grabbed one of the jugs that sat only inches from her friend. She messily poured some of the sake into a cup and handed to the already smashed Lina.

Miroku had to admit that he was rather shocked as the young warrior chugged the liquor. Kitsune had proceeded to pour more drinks for the rest of the group.

"Hey monk man! You gonna drink?" Kitsune called. She was holding a glass full of sake out towards him.

_What the hell, if you can't beat them, join them _Miroku thought taking the container in his hand.

Over the course of the rest of the night the group sat and enjoyed each other's drunken company. There's no better way to form bonds with people then by getting shit-faced and discussing life.

"You know what guys?" Kitsune started. She sat holding her glass in the air. "Life's a garden, dig it," she finished.

"Oh hot damn, you are completely and absolutely right!" Kagome agreed.

"And you guys are the best people to dig it with," Lina added intensifying the conversation.

"I have no idea what the hell you guys are talking about," Inuyasha laughed. He was still sipping on some of the left-over sake.

Shippo let out a soft snore. The tiny fox-demon had passed out earlier in the night.

"Even though I don't quite understand either, it seems like a legitimate argument," Miroku stated. The monk had begun drinking a bit after everyone else, but it didn't take long for him to catch up.

"Just because you can use big words doesn't mean you're smarter than us," Koga hiccupped.

"Oh my goodness! I just had the bestest idea I've ever had," Lina interrupted the wolf-demon. "Let's go swimming in the-wait for it-hot spring," Lina exclaimed. She had tried to hop to her feet during her sentence. Instead she ended up tripping over her own feet. Luckily she caught herself before she fell.

"I was seriously getting ready to say that," Kitsune smiled.

"I don't know guys, that doesn't sound like that much fun," Kagome stated, being a party-pooper.

"I agree, plus it's getting late," Inuyasha chimed in. He stretched his arms and yawned as to prove his point.

"I hate to admit it, but mutt-brain is right," Koga stated. He rose to his feet, but not with his usual wolf-demon grace. He was more sluggish and was having trouble keeping his balance.

"I guess you're right," Kitsune and Lina sighed in unison.

Inuyasha and Kagome had already made their way out of the dining room. There was more stumbling.

"Come on, I'll walk you to your room," Koga voiced. He took Kitsune's hand and tried to help her up out of her sitting position. It took him a couple of tries, but he was finally successful in getting her on her feet.

"Are ya coming, slut?" Kitsune smiled. Clearly she was speaking to Lina.

"Nah, I think I'm going to stay up for a while longer," her friend replied. "Slut," Lina added with a giggle.

"I'll stay and keep her company," Miroku stated. That was his way of letting Kitsune know that her friend would be in good hands.

"I'm sure you will, lecher," Koga joked.

After they all had said their good-nights, Koga kept his word by walking Kitsune to her room. Even though it was a struggle for both of them, they eventually made it to her door-way.

"I had fun with you tonight," Kitsune stated lamely. Koga made her nervous at times and this happened to be one of them. She was hoping it wasn't too obvious.

"I did too," the wolf-demon replied.

He took a strand of her hair between his index finger and his thumb. This made Kitsune blush a deep shade of pink. He definitely wasn't helping with her nervousness that was for sure. But she wasn't going to let it get the better of her. And it did help that she was still pretty drunk.

"Have I ever told you that you're beautiful," Koga whispered. He was now leaning in towards her.

"I don't believe you have," Kitsune replied a smile spreading across her lips. "You should probably say it more often," she added.

Koga could tell that she was starting to relax. He wasn't going to lie, he was pretty nervous too. But he was even more anxious. The wolf-demon had wanted to tell Kitsune how he felt ever since she followed him back to his den.

"Well, you are very beautiful," Koga smiled his white, pointy-toothed smile.

"You're not that bad looking yourself," the demon-slayer replied huskily. Kitsune placed her hand on his muscular chest and stared deep into his eyes.

Koga couldn't stand it anymore. The way her red-ish hair laid on her shoulders, the way she looked at him with those almost puppy-dog eyes, the way her hand felt against his chest. It was almost a sensory over load.

Without a second thought, the wolf-demon placed his hand against her cheek and pulled Kitsune's face into his. Koga began to kiss her gently as if he was afraid that he would break her. She was surprised at first (in a good way) and after a moment of shock she found herself returning his caress.

His taste made her head swim. Kitsune soon found herself pressing her body closer to Koga's. But the kiss was too soon interrupted by someone clearing their throat behind the couple. Koga removed his lips from hers, but didn't let of his hold of her body.

They suddenly realized that they were blocking the entry-way of the room and Kagome was waiting to go inside.

"Sorry," she apologized. She refused to make eye contact with either one of them.

Koga reluctantly let go of Kitsune to let Kagome pass.

"I'll see you in the morning, okay beautiful?" Koga whispered as soon as Kagome was in the room.

The flustered Kitsune nodded her head. She was very disappointed that their moment was ruined, but still very grateful it happened. The wolf-demon leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the forehead before he turned and headed for his own room.


	15. March On

Lina woke up with an intense throbbing in her head. She felt like the room was spinning and her stomach was unsettled. She shook off the sick feeling and stretched, bumping into the sleeping person next to her.

She figured it was Kitsune but to her surprise she saw the blue folds of Miroku's robe. _At least he has his clothes on_ Lina thought letting out a long yawn. She didn't remember much about last night but she would have remembered if anything had happened between her and the monk.

She got up and walked out of the room to find her friend. She blocked the harshness of the early morning sun out of her eyes. It didn't take her long to find Kitsune; the poor girl was hunched over, leaning on a tree.

"You poor baby," Lina said with a smile on her face. She didn't sound that sympathetic.

"How are you not puking," Kitsune asked weakly.

"I just shook it off. You'll feel better once you get some breakfast," Lina said.

The two walked towards the smell of freshly cooked food.

"Did you sleep with Miroku last night?" Kitsune asked curiously.

"He slept next to me but I don't really remember anything. Did you sleep with Koga?" Lina asked.

"Nope…I went to bed by myself and woke up by myself," Kitsune said. She was nervous to see Koga. She remembered kissing him, but only barely and she wasn't sure she wanted to tell Lina about it yet.

The girls walked into the room to see everyone sitting with a spread of breakfast before them. Kagome had her head in her hands and her face looked pale.

"Good morning Lina, Kitsune; how are you two feeling this morning?" Miroku said with a smile on his face.

"Good, thank you," Lina said smiling back. It was good to see the monk giving her a genuine smile again. She still wondered what had happened with him and Sango.

Kitsune could only grumble.

"I don't know what you guys are complaining about," Inuyasha said grubbing down on eggs.

"Yea you're all acting as if you're injured or something," Koga said with his mouth full. Kitsune damned their demon blood that allowed them to not have to experience hangovers.

Everyone left the room to explore the temple while Lina and Miroku stayed behind to clean the food up. Lina watched every move the monk made, too afraid to be the first to speak.

"Last night was a good break from everything. It will be nice to get started on the hunt for Naraku again soon; it's like we have a fresh start," Miroku said as he bent down to pick up some bowls that were used. He was obviously cheery, but Lina couldn't wait anymore to know what decision he had made.

"Miroku I hate to be the one to bring you down when you are in this good of a mood but," Lina started. She was quickly cut off by the monk putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I broke it off with Sango last night," he said seriously.

Miroku admired how Lina attempted to keep her excitement hidden. He could see through it though. The light that appeared in her soft brown eyes gave her away and a smile appeared on her lips. The morning rays caught her hair, illuminating her long black locks. It was as if Miroku was looking at her for the first time all over again.

"There is so much I still want to experience with you, and I realized that I would rather die a thousand lives fighting with you by my side than lose you for any reason," he said looking into her eyes.

"Miroku," she stated in almost a whisper, placing her hand on top of his.

He loved the way she said his name; it had seemed like forever since she had let it slip past her lips. She had been so angry with him but now she could finally let her anger and anxiety wash away.

This time Lina didn't give Miroku the chance to steal a kiss like the past two times their lips had met. Her lips ambushed his with such eagerness that she almost knocked him over. Miroku wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.

He was worried if he allowed himself to fall any further into her kiss he would never want to let her go.

"I see you have figured out your problem Miroku," Mushin said from the back of the room.

Lina removed herself from Miroku, scared by the old monk. _How long has he been standing there?_ Lina wondered to herself. _What a creep, they really are the same_ she added thinking about the perverted monk she had just kissed. The thought made her smile to herself.

"Master Mushin, we are so great-full for you allowing us this stay, but we must be leaving soon," Miroku stated smiling.

"You are always welcome here, this is your home. But Miroku, I noticed you have not visited a shrine today," Mushin stated.

It was the most sober Lina had ever seen him. It was funny how an old drunk could manage to still be so religious.

"Of course…I had…other things on my mind," Miroku said looking embarrassed.

"I'll gather the others," Lina stated walking out of the room.

Kitsune wondered around the temple with only her thoughts keeping her company. There were nothing but young men praying and shrines, but she had to admit it was the most peaceful place they had been to. Far from the rotted castle she and Lina had once lived and worlds away from the death and decay Naraku had created.

She wondered where destiny would lead her and Lina next on this crazy journey. She rounded a corner only to be shocked by Koga grabbing her arm.

"Koga you scared the shit out of me!" she said gasping.

"Kitsune I wanted to talk to you. I've been waiting to get you alone but you keep moving around," he said seriously. "Did I kiss you last night?" he asked looking into her eyes.

His blue eyes pierced into hers making her heart skip a beat. She could only nod her head yes. Without the social lubricant of alcohol she was a lot more nervous around him, especially when talking about the events of last night.

"Damn, I thought so," he grumbled with a disappointed look on his face.

Kitsune looked down sadly. She didn't expect him to have such a problem with it, was it that horrible for him? She narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to defend herself but he cut her off.

"I only say that because I didn't want it to happen that way. I didn't want to do it under the influence of sake," he stated sincerely.

"I regret that I wasn't sober enough to remember every second of it and I'm sorry I didn't tell you a long time ago how beautiful I think you are," Koga said pushing one side of Kitsune's hair behind her ear.

"I needed some time to think on how I felt, but now I'm positive that I'm going to eventually make you mine," he said smugly.

Kitsune felt her face grow hot as she fumbled over any words to say.

"Hey, c'mon you two! We're getting ready to leave," Lina called waving from one of the rooms. Koga winked at Kitsune then turned around to walk away.

"You're in a better mood," Lina said when Kitsune walked up to her.

"I think Koga plans to make me his mate," her friend said blinking, still in shock.

"That's a good thing right?" Lina asked.

Kitsune didn't answer for a while; she was still too mesmerized under Koga's spell.

"So what happened with Sango?" she asked Lina finally snapping back to reality.

"I guess Miroku kicked Sango to the curb and she left," Lina said with a proud smile on her face. Kitsune had a feeling that the monk would eventually choose Lina, but now she couldn't help but wonder about the fate of their group without the experienced demon-slayer.

"Speaking of Miroku, where is he?" Kitsune asked as the two joined the others.

"He went to a shrine to pray before we leave," Lina said.

"Which one, there's only a dozen here," Inuyasha said plainly.

"Maybe we should all pray before we leave," Kagome suggested. "We all might need it."

Kitsune shrugged, she was never really religious.

"We might as well," Lina said. She was never religious either but maybe the thought of having a relationship with a Buddhist monk was changing her mind.

"Go pray to your silly human deities, I'll stay here and think of an actual battle plan," Koga said gruffly. Kitsune would have rather stayed with him but Lina didn't give her a chance as she pulled her in the direction of a shrine.

They walked up to a peaceful shrine that had a small water creek trickling down the mountain rocks behind it. "I think we should kneel," Lina said unsure. They kneeled before the shrine and closed their eyes. Lina wasn't sure of what she was supposed to pray for.

_Buddha guide us to the path that will make us safe and successful in defeating those that want to cause us harm_ Lina started. _Yea, that sounded good_ she thought to herself, impressed with her praying skills.

"Now what?" Kitsune said. She had said all she had possibly wanted to say.

"I think we light this little candle thingy," Lina said seeing the matches on the shrine. She struck the match and lit the candle.

Upon lighting the spiritual candle a bright white light blasted out of the shrine. When the girls could finally see again they were face-to-face with two beautiful, glowing spirits.

"I-Is that…..us?" Kitsune finally managed to ask.

"Are you Yuuko and Naoko?" Lina asked, unafraid at the presence of the spirits.

It was as if Kitsune and Lina were looking in to a glowing mirror, but the spirits had on large white kimonos and feudal hair-styles. Lina also noticed that they looked either older or more…_intense_ Lina thought, finally finding the right word.

"You must take heed to our words," the spirits said in tandem.

Yuuko looked into Lina's eyes, piercing hers with a deathly seriousness. "Warn yourself of false allies. Know your weaknesses," she said speaking firmly.

"On your own you stand no chance, together you shall conquer. Weakness of the heart surely means failure," Naoko stated, matching Yuuko's intensity.

"What does all this mean? Why are you telling us this?" Kitsune asked desperately. She hated not having answers.

The spirits only repeated what they had already said as their voices grew fainter and fainter. They finally disappeared back into the shrine and the candle blew out with a gust of wind.

"Know your weaknesses," Lina repeated in a whisper. What was that supposed to mean? Why did the spirit of her old-self choose to reveal this to her now; was Miroku a weakness?

Kitsune saw the look on Lina's face and placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry yourself over it…I think this was just the only place they could reach us. It was probably advice that they wish they had before they were killed by Naraku," Kitsune said thoughtfully.

She wanted to return to the group to let them know what they had just experienced. They quietly left the shrine with heavy hearts. Seeing the spirits of the old demon-slayers made their mission ever-so real again. They were coming to the conclusion every day in feudal Japan that they might never make it home.


	16. Tokage the Mighty

When the girls reached the others, they were speaking to a young, bald monk-in-training. He seemed to have some knowledge of Naraku.

"I'm not sure if it is the demon you speak of, but the forest to the east has been infested with demons for the past moon or so. Sometimes they make it here, but Master Mushin has a protective barrier placed on the temple, so we only see them," the teenager stated.

"They call it Yume no Mori, The Forest of Dreams," the young monk stated in a low voice.

"Do they call it that because everyone's dreams come true when you go into the forest?" Kitsune asked in a hopeful voice.

Lina shook her head, "It's a forest in feudal Japan overrun with demons Kitsune, not Disney Land," she stated.

"It got its name because the types of demons that reside there are the type that confuse their prey with demon sorcery. I have only heard of such demons, but I can imagine that they are quite formidable," the monk stated with a worried tone.

"How can you be sure it has anything to do with Naraku?" Inuyasha asked.

"I hear stories of a demon or multiple demons possessing fragments of the Shikon no Tama," he answered almost in a whisper.

Inuyasha's ears perked up. "That's where we're headed then," Inuyasha said turning around.

The group thanked the monk and began following the determined half-demon away from the temple.

"Why did that guy think that Naraku has pieces of the Sacred Jewel?" Lina asked. She could only imagine what evil lay ahead in the forest, but demons were only a small part of the problem if Naraku was also to be found.

"Naraku hunts the jewel shards to make himself more powerful, and if it's not Naraku then we can take the jewel shards from these lesser demons," Miroku answered.

"Either way it's a win-win for us," Inuyasha stated from the front of the group.

Kitsune looked at Koga's legs. "Koga, don't you have jewel shards in your legs? What happens when we have the rest of them gathered?" Kitsune asked. She had never thought about that before.

"I'll worry about that when the time comes. In the mean time I'd like to see Naraku try to take them from me," Koga growled. He seemed pumped to be back on Naraku's trail.

The group had been walking for what had seemed like hours and still had quite a while left to get to the forest in the distance. The sun was high in the sky and it was the hottest day in the summer so far.

"This heat is really killing me," Kagome said tying her hair up.

Kitsune and Lina mumbled in agreement. It felt like the ground was sizzling under Lina's feet and the realization popped into her head that the group had no water with them.

"When we get to the forest the trees should shade us from the sun," Miroku stated. He too was getting slowed down from the tremendous heat.

"This has to be some kind of demon magic, it keeps getting hotter the closer we get," Inuyasha said wiping his forehead from sweat.

"It's called global warming Inuyasha, we deal with it all the time," Kitsune said shutting down the whining half-demon.

In a matter of minutes it seemed as if the sun had doubled in intensity. It looked as if the forest far ahead was rippling and Kitsune had to blink to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

Koga saw the confused look on Kitsune's face. "It's not called the Forest of Dreams for nothinn'. I have a feeling things are going to get pretty weird around here," he stated.

"I can't take it anymore, we have to stop," Kagome said sitting down on the hard ground. The group looked back confused.

"Kagome, get your ass up, we need to get to the shade of the forest," Inuyasha yelled.

"No! Kagome hot, Kagome want sit!" Kagome yelled pounding her hands and feet on the ground like a terrible two-year old. The word sit made Inuyasha's necklace glow and he was thrust hard against the ground.

"What the hell Kagome!? Are you drunk again?" Inuyasha asked recovering. He was beginning to get scared.

"I think the heat has made her go mad!" Shippo stated staring at Kagome who was still thrashing like a toddler.

"Ok, this has gone on long enough," Koga grumbled grabbing Kagome's arm. Before he could pick her up he felt a sharp smack across his cheek.

"Don't touch Kagome! You only touch her because she's younger than me!" Kitsune barked at Koga.

"She's lost it too!" Shippo said shrieking.

"Lina, control your friend won't ya!?" Koga yelled holding his stinging cheek.

"Who's Lina? That's not my name" Lina stated wearily. Her cheeks were flushed red and her bangs were plastered to her forehead with sweat.

"Don't tell me you've lost it too Lina," Miroku sighed wiping the sweat out of his eyes. He was having a hard time just keeping his body upright in the heat.

"It's too hot for these clothes!" Lina whined tugging at the collar of her kimono.

"Lina don't!" Miroku yelled grabbing her hand. This caused Lina to collapse on the ground and stomp on the ground in protest, causing Kitsune to do the same thing.

"I-I don't feel so good," Shippo said holding his small head as he too collapsed on the ground.

"What the hell is going ON!?" Inuyasha yelled in anger.

Just then the men heard deep laughter in the distance.

"Who's out there? Show yourself demon!" Miroku demanded grabbing his staff in a battle-ready stance.

"Petty humansssss can't handle the heat….I on the other hand love it," the deep voice answered back.

"Come out and fight you bastard," Koga said in a deep growl.

In response the ground began to shake. The image of the trees in the distance became warped and the group was suddenly in the thickest part of the forest. The group had been under a demon spell the whole time; Inuyasha had been right.

"Damn how did we not sense this?" Koga cursed out loud.

The heat subsided now that the spell was removed, but Shippo and the three girls were still passed out from heat exhaustion. Miroku was not far away from being on the ground with them.

Around the corner of the trees came a giant, scaly demon. It had a forked tongue, dark leathery skin, and a tail as long as a fallen tree. "You caught me," it hissed in a low voice. "But what can a monk, a half-demon, and a ssssscrawny wolf do to defeat Tokage the Mighty, hmmm?"

"Inuyasha, I believe this demon has a fragment of the sacred jewel!" Miroku yelled. The lizard-like demon swept his tail, snapping a tree down. As it came crashing towards the passed-out group Inuyasha sprang into the air, slicing the tree into three pieces with his claws.

"You're going to have to do a little better than that to take us down pea-brain," Inuyasha said smirking.


	17. Control

The last thing Lina could remember was the heat. The unbearable, horrific heat. Her head was swimming as she tried to recall the moment before everything went black. Nothing. Not a thing came to mind no matter how hard she tried.

Her vision and hearing was not affected to her surprise. Dirt and trees laid out before her and she could hear voices. Yells.

Lina then tried to sit up to get a better look at what was happening. To her frustration, she couldn't get her limbs to respond. Not even a twitch. She let out a curse.

Kitsune was coming to as well. Her eyes fluttered open. The only thing she could see was the blue sky mixed with canopies of trees that stretched up above her. She could make out Inuyasha's and Koga's voices. They were nearby which meant she was not in harm's way, at least she not by herself.

Kitsune instinctively tried to sit up, but quickly found that she was unable to. _What the hell happened _she thought. She was having trouble recalling what had occurred before she passed out. The only thing that stuck out at her was a whispering she had heard as she hit the ground.

Kitsune began to get goose bumps. How creepy it was that this was the only memory she had. Even though she heard the whisper, the young warrior could not remember what the voice had said.

Inuyasha, Koga, and Miroku were trying to the best of their abilities to take down the creature that threatened everyone's safety. But their attempts were futile.

Every time they tried to get near the monster, its tail would block their passage. Inuyasha's Wind Scar seemed useless as well. Tokage was a large lizard-like demon who had no problem scuttling out of the attack's path.

"What's the matter boyssss? Don't tell me you're getting tired already," the enemy demon mocked.

"You would only wish to be so lucky," Miroku smirked as he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"Well if I am not so lucky already, I believe it'sss time to make it sssso," Tokage grinned as he looked at the unmoving bodies that laid only a matter of yards away from him.

"Don't you dare touch them," Koga growled. The wolf-demon started to stride over to the girls, Miroku in tow.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about them. You sssshould worry about yourssselvesssss," the lizard-demon laughed.

Lina felt that something was wrong, she just didn't know what it was yet. Her whole body had begun to tingle. It was the same tingle people get after they sat on their hand for too long and became numb. And after a while the hand would start to tingle as it came back to life. It hurt, but at the same time it felt nice.

She hoped that it was the same kind of phenomenon taking place within herself. It would mean her limbs were finally waking up and that she would be able to move again.

Lina soon realized that this was not that case. Try as she could, she couldn't even get her toes to curl. The harder she tried to move, the more intense the vibrating in her cells became.

Kitsune was experiencing "the tingle," too. It made her want to move even more than she already did; if that was possible. It was a like a scratch she couldn't itch because it was out of her reach.

With every second the tingling got worse, and worse. And with it came the whispering. It was mixed with the sound of blowing wind, making it harder to make out. The voice was low and harsh. It was if it was ordering Kitsune to do something... But what?

As the vibrating continued to worsen, the voice seemed to get louder. She could only make out a few words at this point. _"Kill." "Must." "Control." "More." _Kitsune was becoming frantic as the voice screamed in her ears. The words seemed to pour into her soul. Just as the tingling reached its peak, making Kitsune feel as if her very molecules threatened to rip to pieces; it stopped.

Without her command she jumped to her feet. And when the voice spoke this time, it was no whisper. And there was no wind to obscure the words. "Kill, you must kill. You have no control. They are not you friendsss anymore." Kitsune stood with her mouth agape as the words sank in.

Before she could even process what was happening her Kensaki no Muchi was in her hands, transformed into the killing weapon it was meant to be. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her friend standing off to the side only inches away. Lina was also standing, her weapon in hand.

_This isn't good _Kitsune thought as her unwilling legs took a step forward.

"It'ssss sssso nice of you girlsss to join us," Tokage hissed. Inuyasha, Koga, and Miroku all seemed pleased to see Lina and Kitsune up and ready to fight. Kagome and Shippo still lay motionless at their feet.

"Something's not right!" Lina called out. "I can't control my body," Lina stated worriedly.

"Me either," Kitsune added. She hadn't even realized she could talk until she heard her friend's frantic voice.

Inuyasha looked over the girls in disbelief.

"Stop messing around, and let's kill this fucker," Koga exclaimed.

"We're not joking!" Kitsune yelled at the wolf-demon. How could they think that Lina and her were kidding at a time like this?

"I would listen to your companionsss. Because they will be your undoing!" the lizard-like demon laughed. The strange creature slowly started to back away from the group. It was as if it was being consumed by the foliage that surrounded the area.

"Where do you think you're going, freak show?!" Inuyasha demanded. The half-demon rushed after the retreating figure. But to his surprise his sword did not meet with the lizard's flesh. Instead it was met with the clinging sound of metal. Lina stood in front of Inuyasha blocking his attack with her own weapon, Raitou.

"What the hell do are you doing?! I could have had him," the dog-demon shouted in frustration.

"I told you, I can't control it!" Lina shouted back. With one fluid movement, Lina began to slash the sword at her companion. Even though she fought her hardest to keep her body still. It would not respond.

Kitsune soon found herself swinging her whip at an unsuspecting monk. "Miroku, watch out!" she cried. She closed her eyes, not wanting to watch as she killed the man her best friend loved. When she felt the leather crashed into the dirt, Kitsune opened her eyes.

To her relief Koga had gotten Miroku out of the way just in the nick of time. She let out a sigh. But she didn't have much time to relax because her arm started to rise over her head again.

"STOP!" the warrior yelled hoping that it would help her control her body once more. But sadly it was no use.

Her weapon let out a crack as it flew towards the wolf-demon and monk. Koga made it out of harm's way without even really trying, but Miroku wasn't so lucky. The thorns of the vine-like weapon tore through his robe.

The monk fell to the ground clutching his bloodied leg.

"Miroku!" Lina cried. She was still locked in combat with Inuyasha, but happened to look over to check on her lover. No matter how much she wished or willed her body to run to him. She couldn't. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. Oh how she wished she could comfort him, to take care of his wound.

Kitsune cringed as she watched her new friend fall to the ground wounded. Even though her mind had paused on this event, her body was still moving. Her new target; Koga.

"How do we get them to stop without hurting them?" Koga questioned. His eyes told her that he would do everything within his power not to hurt her.

"I'm not sure, we might have to," Inuyasha grunted as he blocked another one of Lina's attack.

"But—" Kitsune started to protest.

"That's it! That's the only way to make this stop!" Lina interrupted having a conniption. "This all started after we woke up from blacking out," she started. "So I have a feeling if you guys knock us out, it'll go away," she finished.

Lina swung her sword at the half-demon once more.

"It won't hurt to try it," Inuyasha stated. He dodged to the young warrior's left, positioning himself behind her. Without hesitation the dog-demon took the hilt of his sword and smashed it into the back of Lina's head. She let out a grunt as she fell to the forest floor, her weapon falling away from her hand.

"Inuyasha! How could you!" Kitsune screamed. Her whip bolting towards him.

"It was the only way," a weak voice called out. Miroku looked pale, but still very conscious. He was looking over at Lina's motionless body.

"And she knew that as well," the monk sighed. He slowly began to pull himself over to Lina. He flipped her over so her face wasn't in the dirt any longer. Miroku then proceeded to brush her hair out of her face.

"Koga, just do it," Kitsune murmured.

"I'll be as gentle as I can," the wolf-demon replied. A light smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.

"I know you will," Kitsune almost smiled back.

Koga dodged another devastating attack coming closer to his goal.

"I'm sorry beautiful," he whispered into her ear right before his hand came down onto the back of her neck.

Kitsune slumped as her vision turned pitch black. She felt at peace at once. She also immediately felt like the curse was lifted. Her body was her own once again.


	18. The Forest of Dreams

Miroku softly kissed Lina's lips in attempts to wake her. He watched as her eyes fluttered open as if she had been peacefully sleeping. She grumbled as she sat up.

"Was that all a dream, or did Inuyasha really knock me unconscious?" she grumbled rubbing the back of her neck.

The monk was happy to see that her sense of humor was still intact.

"Hey, you told me to do it," the half-demon muttered. He spoke to her but his eyes were off in the distance, following the trail of destruction that Tokage had left behind.

"We need to defeat that bastard, and quick," Koga growled as he shook Kitsune lightly. She slowly came to, a small throbbing in her head.

"At least we have the element of surprise now…he probably thinks we're dead," Miroku stated quietly.

Lina suddenly remembered the wound inflicted on the monk. "Miroku, does it hurt?" she asked leaning to see his bloodied leg.

"It's no more than a scratch," he said smiling. She knew he had too much pride to admit that he was badly injured.

"Miroku, I-I'm," Kitsune started.

"It wasn't your fault Kitsune, don't trouble yourself with it," he interrupted smiling. He was already taking out supplies to make a makeshift bandage.

"This thing definitely has a sacred jewel shard. We need Kagome to be able to spot it," Inuyasha said thoughtfully.

"I can go get some water, I hear a stream nearby," Kitsune said standing finally. She figured splashing Kagome with some refreshing water would awaken her and the tiny fox-demon.

Kitsune wandered towards the sound of the water with a heavy mind. She could hear Koga's light footsteps behind her; there was no way he was going to allow her to walk around alone in a demon-filled forest. He could sense her worried mind like waves radiating from her.

"Kitsune, the monk has already forgiven you. You don't have to be so hard on yourself," he stated quietly.

"It's not that," she answered as she bent down by the stream. She put her hand into the water and lifted it up to her lips. The cool, refreshing liquid ran through her body making her feel revived.

"When our bodies were possessed we didn't want to hurt you guys, but we were still using our full strength to try to. It was so easy for you and Inuyasha to knock us out cold! How are we ever supposed to defeat Naraku if we are that weak?" Kitsune asked with a worried look in her eyes.

Koga smirked; she had more of a fighter's spirit than he had thought. "I just haven't got the chance to train with you two yet," he said smugly. "You already have a lot of practice under your belt, all you need is some technique training and you'll be able to beat that coward-of-a-demon for sure," Koga said smiling a cocky smile.

Kitsune didn't know why, but she believed him. She filled up a couple of water bottles that were in her backpack and carried them back with Koga following.

Lina took one of the bottles of water gladly. Her mouth was so dry she felt as if she smiled her lips would crack. She drank half of the bottle before she stopped to offer Miroku some. She watched Inuyasha pour water out of the other bottle onto Kagome's forehead.

The younger girl's eyes fluttered open and she realized that her head was wet. "Inuyasha how could you!? I was having a nice nap!" she stated angrily, wringing her hair out.

Shippo was also awoken by the sounds of yelling.

"Nap!? How could you be napping when we have a demon we need to..." Inuyasha started angrily.

"Wait…I sense a jewel shard very nearby," Kagome stated interrupting Inuyasha.

"Now you get it," he grumbled.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's go retrieve it," Kagome stated jumping into action. Inuyasha pulled Kagome on to his back and took off in a light sprint.

Lina stood up to help Miroku to his feet. "Are you sure you can move with your leg like that?" Lina questioned worriedly.

"I promise I'm fine," Miroku said smiling. He began walking after Inuyasha with a slight limp. Lina offered him a shoulder to lean on but he refused and despite his injury, he was keeping good time with the rest of the group.

"It's coming from over there," Kagome said pointing to the left. "I can see the glow from the shard through the trees," she added in a quieter voice.

"Let's get this over with," Lina whispered angrily. It was starting to piss her off that this scaly demon wasn't already dead.

Inuyasha pulled out Tessaiga and released the powerful wave of energy that was his Windscar, cutting down all the trees that were covering Tokage.

The demon looked surprised but it wasn't long before he released a counter-attack. "How dare you try to sssssneak up on me? You all are sssstarting to become a real thorn in my ssssssiide," Tokage hissed.

"You took the words right out my mouth!" Inuyasha yelled, hitting the demon with another powerful blow from his Tessaiga. The demon turned, allowing his strong, spiny back to absorb the shock from the Windscar.

"The shard! It's on the top of his head!" Kagome yelled out. She had her bow and arrow in her hands but couldn't get a clear shot.

"I'm just gonna have to take it from him with my bare hands," Koga said bearing his claws.

Lina nodded her head, understanding Koga's battle plan. She swung Raitou towards the large lizard-demon. A large ball of electric energy flew at the demon's legs, traveling in between them.

"You misssssssed you ssssilly girl," the demon bellowed with laughter.

"It wasn't supposed to hit you, you dumb idiot!" Lina called out with a smile on her face.

"It was supposed to distract you," Koga growled. He leapt high into the air with such force that dust blew in all directions. He came crashing down with his claws out and landed straight on Tokage's head.

Kitsune could hear the sound of Koga's hand sinking into the flesh of the demon's head as Koga reached in and pulled out the jewel, his hand dripping with purple blood.

Tokage's blood squirted out of the new hole and as the jewel was removed, he gradually shrunk down to the size of a simple lizard. Inuyasha walked over to the scurrying lizard-demon on the ground and in one fluid motion, stomped on him with a splatting sound.

"Gross Inuyasha! You don't even have shoes on, his guts are all over your foot," Kagome yelled. Inuyasha smirked, showing Kagome the bottom of his foot.

Kitsune giggled and despite the fact that Lina too thought his antics were funny, she put her foot down.

"We need to stop acting like children and find Miroku a place to rest!" she said authoritatively.

Kitsune shot her head around to look at her best friend. She never expected her to be the one to sound so motherly.

"It's ok Lina, like I said I'm perfectly fine!" Miroku said waving at the others.

"She's right. Maybe we can use that cave for shelter tonight," Koga said signaling to a large cave in the near distance. Everyone agreed and began to walk towards the cave, but when Miroku tried to take his first step he fell flat on his face.

"You don't look that fine to me," Kitsune muttered still feeling guilty.

"If it hurts so bad you should have said something a long time ago!" Lina yelled angrily while rushing to his side. He couldn't help but chuckle at how deeply she cared.

"I think I have a solution," Kitsune thought out loud.

The group was almost to the cave and had only been hearing grumbling from Miroku the whole way there. He had been carried on Koga's back the entire walk to the cave. He cursed his wounded leg.

"Hey, this isn't exactly what I had in mind either; you're not the one who's chest I want pressing against my back if you know what I mean," Koga growled to the sighing monk.

"Would you rather me carry you in my arms?" Koga asked sarcastically.

"Definitely not," Miroku said already wishing he could jump off of the demon's back as it was.

"At least you've had a good view this whole time," Koga said in a quiet voice. Miroku couldn't argue with him. The girls had been walking in front of them them, unaware of the two perverts behind them.


	19. The Cave

"We're here," Kagome said setting her backpack on the ground of the cool, dark cave.

Koga gently sat Miroku down as well. It wasn't that large at the mouth of the cave but the size expanded as it went further into the rock of the mountain. There was a faint dripping sound of water, but the ground was dry enough to start a fire.

"Do you think we'll be safe in here?" Kitsune asked. It seemed like the last place they wanted was to be was in a closed, rocky space.

"It smells fine, the only smell is a bear's scent, but that's old anyways," Inuyasha said sitting by the pile of sticks that was to be a fire. "Shippo, do the honors," Inuyasha said hinting at the sticks.

"Fox fire!" the small demon called out as he threw a small blue flame onto the sticks. The sticks immediately caught the flame and the dark cave was brought to life with light. The lit-up cave was barely large enough for all of them to fit comfortably.

"There's obviously no threat in here now but that doesn't mean there won't be one later. We should take shifts sitting at the opening. We'll rotate so everyone can get some sleep," Inuyasha said taking command as always.

Koga simply grunted in response; he was still too proud to openly agree with Inuyasha; that would require seeing him as his leader. "We'll go first," Koga said walking out to the mouth of the cave. Kitsune stood to follow him out, giving Lina one last look before exiting.

"Kagome, Shippo, and I will go look for some food, but we won't go far," Inuyasha said standing up.

Before Kagome left she handed Lina a pot and some medical supplies. "I figured you can boil some water to disinfect the bandages," Kagome said before following Inuyasha.

Lina allowed the pot to gather enough drops of water from the back of the cave to fill it up and held it over the fire until she saw small bubbles form. She put long strips of bandages into the pot and let them boil for a couple minutes.

Miroku had already tried protesting so he could take over, but Lina had shut him down quick. He was just so used to always being the one to fix people's wounds.

"Stop arguing and let me fix it up so it doesn't bother you tomorrow," she said focusing on the task at hand.

Her voice was stern but Miroku could hear the sincerity in it. She took the cloths out of the boiling water and wrung the excess water out, placing them in the first-aid kit. He watched as she unraveled his make-shift bandage. She delicately cleaned his wound with what she called an "alcohol wipe." He winced slightly at the sharp sting of the small, cold cloth. The wound was not as deep as he had originally thought it was, but nonetheless, was enough to cause him pain.

Lina applied a thin layer of soothing ointment on his leg and wrapped it up with the now-dry bandages. He was amazed at how soft she was with her hands and how gentle she was, despite how focused she seemed. Her hand rested on his leg and he could feel how cold her fingertips were.

He realized that it was the most skin-to-skin contact she had ever had with him. It had been a while since a woman had taken such good care of him and he had to admit, it was turning him on. Maybe a little too much.

Lina saw the monk staring quietly, intently at her and she immediately felt nervous. No matter how tough she was, he always seemed to be able to make her feel like a little girl when he looked at her. She fumbled with Kagome's first-aid kit in attempts to look busy.

Miroku smiled cockily; at least he could still make her nervous, that was obvious. He shifted his eyes to the inner walls of the cave. The dancing flames casted light onto the sides, creating odd shadows. He trusted Inuyasha if he said that they were safe to stay there that night. He only wished that he and Lina could have the silent cave to themselves.

As if Inuyasha read Miroku's mind he appeared at the opening of the cave carrying a few fish. "This is all they had in that small stream, but it's better than nothin'," he said throwing the fish on the cave's floor.

"How are you feeling Miroku?" Shippo asked running to the monk's side.

"I can't lie Shippo, I'm in pain," Miroku said, referring more-so to the pain in his pants than the pain from his wound.

"It don't look that bad," Inuyasha grumbled, unaware of the secret hatred Miroku had for the whole group at that moment.

Kagome generously cooked the fish for everyone and brought some out for Kitsune and Koga. Their shift was supposed to end when the moon was high in the sky, then it was Kagome and Inuyasha's turn, and Lina's shift didn't begin until the sun was about to start rising.

Those that weren't guarding the cave decided it would be best to get as much rest now as possible. Lina unfolded her sleeping bag and forced herself to fall asleep, eyeing the resting monk as she did so.

Lina woke up to Inuyasha lightly shoving her. When she shot her head up it was dark in the cave. She could only hear the soft snoring of the sleeping bodies around her. "You're turn…I'm gonna go pass out now," Inuyasha yawned as he made his way further into the cave.

At least Lina could see the entrance to the cave from the light of the stars in the night sky. She sat at her post diligently, trying not to nod back off to sleep. She then realized that she forgot Raitou in the cave.

_I've got to get a tracking device for that thing_ she thought as she wondered back to her previous spot on the dirt floor. She was blinded by the sudden darkness of the cave. She didn't even begin to know where to look.

She tried to step lightly, but ended up tripping over something. Lina landed on a hard, sleeping body, waking whoever it was she fell on.

"Sorry," she whispered.

She was going to ask who she landed on, but her question was answered when she felt a hand stroke her backside. Her top half had landed on top of Miroku, so that she was draped across his torso.

"You're not going to stop me?" Miroku whispered when he didn't get a response from Lina.

"Not unless you want me to," Lina whispered back.

"I would have been doing it all night if I could have," Miroku whispered making Lina's face grow hot.

Miroku's hand left Lina's butt and traveled up to her waist. Lina oriented herself off of Miroku and kneeled next to him.

"I didn't land on your leg did I?" Lina asked nervously.

"I'm not concerned about that right now," Miroku said leaning up. His hand continued to travel up her waist and made it to her face as he pulled her into deep kiss. Lina didn't fight back and leaned into Miroku, completely absorbed by his essence.

Miroku broke the long kiss only to pull Lina into another, and then another. Lina could feel her heart pounding faster and her breathing grew heavier with each kiss. Miroku parted his lips, touching his warm tongue to Lina's bottom lip, begging for entrance.

She responded without hesitation and tasted the sweet taste of his mouth in hers. Miroku couldn't take it anymore and he reached his free hand to the side of her chest, gripping the fabric of her kimono eagerly.

"Miroku, I can't…..not with everyone here," Lina whispered finally. She was amazed at the strength she had to resist the sexy monk.

"I don't care about everyone else," Miroku whispered. His voice was deeper than usual as it vibrated her ear, making her nerves melt. She allowed a few more kisses to pass through, forgetting her thoughts for a brief minute. She heard someone rustle in their sleep, reminding her where they were.

"No Miroku, really, I can't. It wouldn't be right," she whispered pulling away from him. She realized how out of breath she was. "This is my shift; what if something happened while I wasn't paying attention?" she whispered.

It was too good of an argument for Miroku to protest, no matter how frustrated he was. He let out a sigh and released his hands of her, finally allowing her to grab her sword and leave.

Lina sat at the opening of the cave, happy that it was cool in the early morning. She needed to cool off. The scent and taste of Miroku was still prevalent in her mind and if it weren't for the light brought forth by the sun, she would have entered back into the cave.


	20. Kagome's Feelings

The peacefulness of the Forest of Dreams was enough to eventually distract her. She sat quietly at her post until she heard the others begin to awaken. Lina still remained at her seat in front of the cave until she heard someone moving towards her. She didn't even have to look behind her to know that it was Kitsune.

"Anything exciting happen?" Kitsune asked sitting next to her friend. Her hair was tangled and her facial expression was still sleepy, but her eyes were alert.

"Um…." Lina thought not knowing what to say.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kitsune demanded looking into Lina's eyes for answers.

Before Lina could think of anything to say she felt a sharp sting on her ankle. "Ow!" she exclaimed swatting at her skin.

When Lina looked at what she had swatted it appeared to be a tiny man with a hat and a backpack. Kitsune looked curiously at what Lina held.

"That's the oddest species of flea I've ever seen," she said with one eyebrow higher than the other.

"Well if it ain't Myoga the flea," Inuyasha exlaimed walking out of the cave.

"Myoga's here?" Shippo questioned joining the others.

"If Myoga's here then this forest must not be dangerous," Kagome said in an exasperated tone.

"Master Inuyasha!" the tiny flea-demon yelled bouncing from Lina's hand to Inuyasha's shoulder. "I see you have added some tasty new people to your gang," the flea said getting a piercing glare from Lina.

Kagome politely introduced the two girls to the flea.

"Pleased to meet you," Myoga said curtly. "I am here Master Inuyasha to ward you from this forest. I was on my way out of it to find you when I saw the destruction that only your Tessaiga could make; I had to warn you," Myoga stated.

"Warn me of what?" Inuyasha asked.

"Master Inuyasha, this forest holds many great evils of legends! Not to mention I have personally seen your brother here, Master Sesshomaru! Also, there are rumors of the mistress Lady Kikyo wondering close-by," Myoga added.

"Sesshomaru…..K-Kikyo," Inuyasha stumbled with his words with a look of fear on his face.

"Oh no," Kagome said quietly.

Kitsune wondered what could possibly make Inuyasha, with all his strength, look so terrified.

"Oh no, what?" Lina asked tiredly.

Ever since Kitsune and her fell down that cursed Bone Eater's Well their whole journey had been filled with "Oh no's". Oh no, Kagura is trying to kill them. Oh no, Lina got shot with an arrow. Oh no, Koga left the group. Oh no, it wasn't Naraku it was his demon puppet. Oh no, Sango left the group (which to Lina wasn't such a big deal, but it did greatly hurt the group's chances of killing Naraku). Oh no, a lizard demon possessed Kitsune and Lina. Here they were again faced with even more oh no's.

"Yeah, who are Sesshomaru and Kikyo?" Kitsune questioned.

"Ha, you've never heard of the great Master Sesshomaru? Inuyasha's older brother," the flea-demon scoffed.

"He's not that great if you ask me," Inuyasha growled. The half-demon crossed his arms frowning deeply.

"You have a brother!?" Kitsune exclaimed. She never even considered Inuyasha having any relatives. Well, any that were still alive that is.

"Yeah, yeah it's no big deal. I mean we hardly ever see him and when we do, he tries to kill us," Inuyasha mumbled. He was clearly over the topic of Sesshoumaru.

_Well let's hope we don't run into him _Lina thought to herself. She was still concerned with Miroku's injured leg.

"Okay so that answers one question. But who is this Kikyo lady," Kitsune asked. She had a feeling that she had heard the name before, she just couldn't place where.

"She's the one I'm a reincarnation of," Kagome stated. Her whole demeanor had changed since Myoga mentioned Kikyo's name. "And she's Inuyasha lover," she added.

_That's right! No wonder the name Kikyo had sounded so familiar _Kitsune thought to herself. Kagome turned and walked back into the cave. It was as if she was a wounded puppy limping back to its cage.

"Lover?!" Lina shrieked. It was clear that she didn't remember the story Kagome had told them when they had first arrived in the feudal era. That seemed like ages ago, but in reality it had only been a few weeks since they fell down the Bone Eater's Well.

"You two-faced player," Lina added. The disgust was apparent in her voice. This whole time Lina could have sworn that Inuyasha had feelings for Kagome.

"K-Kikyo is not my lover! Kagome is just being overdramatic," the half-demon retorted.

"Why is everyone so worked up?" Koga demanded as he exited the cave. He had to shield his eyes from the sun's rays that now covered the whole forest.

"Because dumbass has been playing poor Kagome this whole time," Lina explained.

"What are you talking about?" the wolf-demon asked.

"Inuyasha has a lover and her name is Kikyo," she huffed.

"Kikyo? Hmmm, that name sounds familiar," Koga stared blankly.

"I guess she's the priestess that Kagome was reincarnated from," Kitsune explained. A knowing expression grew across the wolf-demon's face and Lina's.

"Oh yeah. I remember hearing stories about her," Koga and her friend stated in tandem.

Kitsune couldn't help, but let out a small sigh. Sometimes it was amazing how easily Lina could forget things. She didn't know how many times she had to remind her friend of her own mother's birthday. But for some unknown reason Lina could always remember her birthday without hesitation.

"Like how after dog-breath killed her, some witch decided that she would use the great Kikyo's ashes and clay to bring her back from beyond the grave," Koga added snapping Kitsune out of her own little world. The way he ended his sentence gave Lina the chills.

"Beyond the grave..." Kitsune whispered.

"Creepy," her friend sighed.

"I didn't kill her! Naraku did," Inuyasha cried out in frustration.

"So if you think about it...she's kind of like a zombie," Lina concluded, ignoring the half-demon.

"I guess you could put it that way," Kitsune chuckled.

"Well Inuyasha, if this zombie isn't your current lover, then why did you get so nervous when the flea said her name?" Lina asked.

"I'm still here," Myoga retorted.

"Because she tried to drag me to hell with her," Inuyasha exclaimed, ignoring the tiny creature on his shoulder.

"Oh," Kitsune and Lina stated in unison.

Instead of feeling bad for Kagome, the friends now felt sorry for Inuyasha. It was amazing how many people had it out for the poor dog-demon. Naraku, Kagura, Sesshomaru, and now this Kikyo person; Lina didn't doubt there was more out there that they had yet to encounter.

After Inuyasha had straightened out the girls about the whole Kagome-Kikyo situation they had to decide what to do next. They had followed Naraku's trail into the Forest of Dreams, but now there were other obstacles that hindered their journey.

Should they push forward and risk running into Sesshomaru or even Kikyo? Lina had voted to stay in the cave for at least one more night. Kitsune had graciously backed her up. She knew it was too soon for the monk to try to walk.

They wanted to give Miroku's leg enough time to heal. The monk had protested their votes and stated that, "he was perfectly able to push forward". Lina knew better than to believe that crap. His leg was now slightly swollen and no matter how Kitsune and Lina tried to keep the wound clean, it continuously drained bloody pus.

"I'm sorry to say, but I agree with Kitsune and Lina on this one," Koga stated solemnly. He could smell Miroku's leg and it had been making him queasy all morning. Shippo nodded eagerly from the corner of the cave.

"But I'm fine. I can walk as much as necessary," Miroku said as he tried to stand. As soon as he put pressure on the injured leg, the monk winced in pain.

"See you're not alright," Lina sighed, helping Miroku back down into his sitting position.

"Well that settles it. We stay here one more night and head out in the morning," Inuyasha grunted. He didn't seem too thrilled about it. Neither did Kagome, but there wasn't much they could do with Miroku incapacitated.

Inuyasha left the cave without saying another word. Kagome chased after him a few moments later. The rest of the group settled down to relax. The day just seemed to come and go and everyone felt lazy. They picked at the left-over fish that Inuyasha had caught the night before.

Kitsune and Lina had ended up falling asleep after they satisfied their hunger. Lina was cuddled up against the also sleeping monk. Kitsune had fallen asleep with her head in Koga's lap. The wolf-demon brushed his fingers threw her hair often when no one was looking.

"Inuyasha! Don't you just walk away from me," Kagome called. After leaving the cave she had been chasing him all over the forest.

"Why? So you can yell at me some more? Screw that," the half-demon huffed, keeping his pace.

Kagome was upset about the whole Kikyo situation and had taken it out on Inuyasha. She hated to admit it, but she had feelings for the stubborn dog-demon. And the reason she hated admitting it was because Inuyasha had some horrible traits. Like being childish, selfish, stubborn, and hot-headed, but he wasn't all bad.

He had saved her life on many occasions. He had saved many lives throughout their journeys. Inuyasha never gave up even though all seemed lost. He pushed on and fought like there was nothing to lose.

The whole group knew there was a chance that they wouldn't make it out of this nightmare alive. But Inuyasha gave them hope. Kagome let out a sigh as she slowed down coming to a complete stop.

The half-demon sensed that she wasn't behind him anymore and turned around. Time seemed to stop as he looked over Kagome's features. The wind was softly caressing her. Her hair lightly danced in sync with the branches of the surrounding trees. A frown was pulling at her perfectly full lips.

Inuyasha disliked seeing her upset almost as much as he disliked what their lives had become. He never imagined that this would be their destiny. So much death and fighting. It's not the life Kagome should be living. She was too good for all of this. She was pure and wholesome. And he was lucky enough to have her in his life.

He let out a sigh as he approached her. "Hey, I'm sorry," Inuyasha stated. He stopped about a foot away from where she stood. Kagome's eyes locked with his own. "Kikyo doesn't matter, and she never will. What matters is that we have each other," he added not breaking eye contact.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered.

"We're in this together," he said with a half-smile. "This is _our _destiny. I get to experience it with you, and that's something Kikyo can't take away," Inuyasha added. Kagome nodded, a smile growing across her face. "Now let's get back to the cave before the sun goes down," the half-demon stated. She hopped onto Inuyasha's back without a word.


	21. The Dream Demons

Lina woke up to a slight humming noise coming from outside the cave. She rubbed the sleep from the corners of her eyes. Sitting up she looked around to find everyone was fast asleep. Miroku snored lightly while Koga's leg twitched as he dreamed. Kitsune's head was resting in the wolf-demon's lap as she gently breathed in and out.

Shippo laid by himself in the far corner. His little chest rising and falling. Kagome and Inuyasha must have been out and about still because they were nowhere in sight.

Lina noticed that the humming seemed to be getting louder as the minutes stretched on. Not wanting to make the same mistake, she grabbed her sword and decided to wake her friend up. She was not going to end up in the forest with an arrow sticking out of her chest alone; again.

Lina was now fully aware of how dangerous the feudal era was.

"Kitsune," she whispered, slightly shaking her friend's sleeping body. She didn't want to wake Miroku or Koga just in case this was a false alarm.

Kitsune grunted quietly as she started to come to.

"What's going on?" she grumbled sitting up from the wolf-demon's lap.

"Shhh, it's okay. I just want you to come check something out with me," Lina reassured the still half-asleep warrior.

Kitsune quickly caught on as she heard the noise slightly echo around them in the small cave.

"What is that?" she asked

"I'm not sure, but we're about to find out," Lina replied with an almost devilish smile spreading across her lips. Kitsune returned the smile while she gathered up her weapon. Slowly they slipped out into the open.

The sun had started to set in the west giving the Forest of Dreams a peaceful feeling. Fireflies filled the air adding to the calming effect. Lina looked over to her friend as she tried to pin-point the source of the sound.

Kitsune pointed to the right of the cave. She was trying to be as quiet as possible. She didn't want to give any sign of what they were up too. She had a feeling that they were being watched.

Lina nodded in agreement as they headed through the thicket. As they passed the last of the underbrush a clearing was visible. At first it was hard for the girls to understand what was happening.

Blue orbs filled the air in the clearing. Lina couldn't help but think that they shared some resemblance of a fairy, but she quickly shook that thought. There was no way that there would be such a peaceful creature in this era filled with such horrific demons. If anything, they had to be something evil.

Kitsune felt the complete opposite. They had a serene feeling about them, the way they floated oh-so gracefully in the summer air. Lina was about to whisper something to Kitsune when a long eel with insect-like features flew into view.

The creature did nothing to acknowledge the girls standing at the edge of the opening. It continued on as if it was alone.

"What kind of animal is that?" Kitsune questioned confused.

"Don't ask me. You're the one who's supposed to know that kind of stuff," Lina retorted refusing to take her eyes off the floating eel.

The creature then used its eight spiny appendages that looked like some sort of legs to grab ahold of the blue orb. Swiftly it took its prize into the forest.

"Should we-," Kitsune started to ask, but Lina had taken her hand and pulled as she chased after the creature.

"Lina, what are we going to do once we catch up with it?" Kitsune managed to ask through heavy breathing. Her friend never slowed down as she jumped over rocks, around trees, and ducked under low hanging branches.

It wasn't long until the girls caught up with the flying eel. As they got a clear view of the animal, they noticed that it was hovering over a woman that sat with her back against a tree trunk. She sat about 100 yards away from where the girls were.

The woman had jet black hair that flowed over her shoulders. Her pale skin glowed as the blue orb's light shone over her. She wore a white and red kimono that looked oddly familiar to Lina and Kitsune.

The woman reached up towards the orb taking it in her hands. She looked at it with gentle, caring eyes. "You can be at peace now, young one," she stated, putting the orb to her chest. The sphere was happy to oblige as it was absorbed into the woman's being.

Lina and Kitsune looked on in awe. It was in that moment the woman had realized that she was being spied on. Her dark brown eyes locked on the two intruders with an angry flare in them. The woman stood up gracefully picking up a bow and arrow as she did.

_Shit, I might end up taking an arrow to my shoulder afterall _Lina thought darkly.

The stranger had no problem drawing the bow-string back. The arrow head pointed straight for Kitsune's heart. Before the woman could unleash her weapon upon the young warrior, Lina pushed her out of the way.

The shaft whizzed past Lina's arm, luckily missing both of the girls. But they knew the next one wouldn't. This stranger was clearly a master archer. She was almost as good as Kagome.

"Kagome," Lina whispered. She was suddenly hit with an epiphany. "It's Kikyo!" she cried out. Lina would rather face one hundred demons, than face Kikyo in battle.

"Run!" Kitsune screamed, as she regained her balance. She took off towards the cave. There was no doubt in her mind that Kikyo wouldn't falter putting them down. Lina hesitated for a moment, trying to think of a strategy. She realized they wouldn't be able to get close enough to the woman to do any damage. She would end up with an arrow in her heart if she tried to approach.

Lina turned running after Kitsune. Arrows zipped past the warriors' heads and bodies as they tore through the forest. It was clear that Kikyo had no intension of letting the girls live as she chased them.

_Hopefully she'll run out of arrows soon _Kitsune thought. Her legs were getting tired, but she refused to slow. Lina had nearly caught up with her friend when something trapped her foot. She landed face first in the soil and roots.

Kitsune stopped to try to help her back up to her feet. "No! Keep running! Get Inuyasha, I'll lead her towards the river," Lina yelled picking herself up off the cold ground.

"But—," Kitsune started.

"I'll see you soon," Lina interrupted with a half-smile. Kitsune nodded, taking off again towards the cave. With all her strength she willed herself to be swift and non-clumsy.

Lina watched her friend disappear in the distance. Another arrow whooshed by striking a nearby tree. Knowing Kitsune was safe, Lina began running towards the river that was about a mile away from where she was located now. _Good thing they make you run so much in P.E. _she thought dryly keeping her pace.

Kitsune ran until she felt an intense burning in her muscles. P.E was her least favorite subject for this exact reason. She ran until she realized that she didn't even begin to know where to look for Inuyasha. He wasn't in the cave when her and Lina had left and there was no guarantee that he was there now.

Among the leaves and tree trunks that were passing by her, she thought she saw a red cloth that could have been the edge of Inuyasha's kimono. She took a chance and ran towards the direction of the red cloth, leading her to a small clearing to find Inuyasha and Kagome asleep under a tree.

_Oh thank God_ Kitsune thought running towards the sleeping pair. She paused briefly to look at a cloud of strange flying insects humming around Inuyasha and Kagome. They looked like common fire-flies but were larger and their bright glow had swirls of multitudes of colors.

Kitsune reminded herself that everything was strange and different in the feudal era and there were more important things at hand than bugs. She approached Inuyasha in a rush and shook him violently. The sleeping half-demon looked peaceful in his slumber, as did Kagome.

"Wake up!" Kitsune said in a loud voice. Neither one moved an inch. Kagome was mumbling something in her sleep and Inuyasha eyes were violently moving underneath his eyelids as he dreamt an intense dream.

"Guys wake up! Lina needs us!" Kitsune yelled louder this time. She started to panic when still nothing happened. She grabbed a hold of Inuyasha's soft ears and yanked them towards her face. "WAKE UP YOU JERK!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her scream was loud enough to make the surrounding birds flee from the trees in the clearing, but not enough to wake the sleeping couple. Kitsune's eyes widened as the severity of her situation sank in.

The trees rustled as a gust of wind approached the terrified demon-slayer. She recognized the whirlwind and it allowed her to calm down a bit.

"Koga," she whispered relieved. "How did you know I was here?" she asked running to her handsome hero.

"Are you serious? I could hear you screaming from miles away! What's going on?" he asked half worried and half annoyed. He immediately saw the look of terror on her face and he knew something was very wrong.

"Lina and I heard humming noises and we followed them to these weird creatures that led us to Kikyo. She saw us and started to attack us, I ran but Lina led her towards the river to distract her and now she's in danger! I tried to run to get Inuyasha for help, but Koga, him and Kagome won't wake up!" Kitsune stated hysterically.

He saw her soft eyes swell with tears as her voice cracked in fear. Her mouth was in a worried pout as she tried to hold tears back. He had never seen her cry before.

"Alright mutt-boy wake your ass up!" Koga growled as he slapped Inuyasha hard across the face. At first he was shocked when the half-demon didn't flinch, but then Koga noticed the glowing fireflies.

"These demons…they're feeding on their dreams! They must have fallen asleep when these damn bugs came along. Their dreams are the colors swirling around in their bellies!" Koga said in a low, angry voice.

He let out a growl as he began slashing at the dream-demons with his sharp claws. The demons burst and in a flash of light, all the dreams flew out like soft white orbs, back into Inuyasha and Kagome's heads.

The half-demon's eyes blinked open almost immediately. "Why does my face hurt?" he asked in a groggy voice.

"We need to go now!" Kitsune yelled having no time to explain what was going on.


	22. Lady Kikyo

_I'm screwed_ Lina thought as she looked around for a solid hiding place. She had made it to the river-bank only to realize that there were no suitable spots to hide. Any time she found a large boulder or tree one of Kikyo's soul eaters approached her, lighting up her area for the expert archer to find her.

_I knew these things were evil_ she thought as she looked up at the long, graceful creatures floating above her head. Lina heard rustling in the nearby bushes, knowing that it was her female pursuer. Kikyo stepped out of the brush, her arrow already pulled back in a tight, deathly stance.

"This ends here and now, but first…tell me who sent you," Kikyo said. It was the first time she had spoken directly to Lina and she was surprised at how soft the tone of her voice was. Lina took two large steps back, going into the river ankle-deep.

"You're Kikyo right? I have heard your story, if you could just put down your weapon we-," Lina started.

"I asked you a question," Kikyo stated angrily, pulling her bow even tighter.

_Where the hell is Inuyasha?_ Lina wondered, even more scared then before. Lina had no other choice but to draw her sword.

Raitou immediately came to life, its blade shining in the bright moonlight. "No one sent me Kikyo, I am searching for Naraku just as you are," Lina stated holding her weapon with both hands.

"I don't appreciate playing games!" Kikyo grunted, letting her arrow fly towards Lina's terrified face.

Without thinking Lina swung her sword deflecting the killer arrow. She had beads of sweat forming on her brow. It was the closest call she had encountered this whole journey.

"Kikyo, I am telling the truth!" Lina yelled beginning to feel desperate. She had to think fast. "Inuyasha is with me, back at our campsite!" Lina called out.

Kikyo's facial expression changed when she heard the name of her former lover.

"Inuyasha….Inuyasha is here?" she questioned aloud, removing her hand from the string of her bow. Seeing that her pursuer was deep in thought, Lina raced further into the river, diving into the surprisingly deep, cold water.

She kicked her legs as fast as she could, going further into the fast current. It was a minute before she finally popped her head up for air. Gasping for a breath Lina looked into the distance to see that Kikyo was far enough away that she couldn't harm her.

Lina was so focused on Kikyo that she didn't notice that the current was increasing in speed. When she turned to face behind her she saw that the edge of the river disappeared. There was only the white foam produced by the rushing water ahead of her. She knew she was heading full-speed towards a waterfall and there was no way she could get out. She could only brace herself for the fall that was to come.

_This just keeps getting worse_ was the last thought to go through her mind before she tumbled down the enormous column of water, hitting her head hard on a rock at the bottom.

Everything went black.

Kitsune hadn't slowed down since Inuyasha and Kagome had awoken. She was gasping for air and her side was beginning to cramp, but all she needed to keep her going was the thought of Lina being pierced with one of Kikyo's arrows.

The group finally made it to the river-side that was silent except for the sound of rushing water. "I smell Lina, but not her blood at least," Koga said searching the grounds.

"I smell Kikyo," Inuyasha said quietly. He seemed to just have realized what was going on.

"Is she still here?" Kagome asked grabbing on to Inuyasha's arm.

Kitsune was discouraged by the lack of the site of her friend. She looked down at the river rocks and spotted something pink caught in the mud. "Lina's hair ribbon!" Kitsune exclaimed picking up the precious piece of material. She noticed it was soaking wet.

"She must have gone in the river to avoid Kikyo…quick to the waterfall!" she cried rushing off with another burst of energy. Before she knew it Koga had swept her up in his arms. He was getting tired of watching her strain herself, knowing that anywhere she wanted to go, he could get her there faster.

He ran to the very edge of the waterfall and with a giant leap, and a shrill scream from Kitsune, he landed on the solid ground below.

"Lina!" Kitsune cried out, spotting her friend washed up on the edge of the lower river. Kitsune broke from Koga's arms and ran to her friend's wet, lifeless body. She shook her frantically, too worried to be gentle.

Lina's eyes fluttered open, slightly glazed over. Her thick black eyelashes had small water droplets gathered on them and her face was pale.

"Are you ok?" Kitsune asked in a worried tone. Lina struggled to lift her head up. She simply gave her friend a thumbs-up sign before she laid her head back down. It was pounding too hard for her to keep it lifted.

Kitsune smiled a soft smile of relief.

"I lost Kikyo's scent…she must have left," Inuyasha said, his voice seeming far away.

"We should go back to the cave and the fire to warm Lina up. I hope the others are ok," Kagome stated looking down at the ground.

Kitsune helped to get the shivering Lina onto Koga's back.

Lina was relieved that she didn't have to walk back to the cave on her own. She graciously accepted Koga's offer to carry her. Her head was throbbing and she was oh-so cold which made the rest of her body ache.

As the group headed back up towards the waterfall Lina began to nod off. "Kitsune, thanks for coming back for me," she whispered weakly.

"Of course I would come back for you! I was worried sick that Kikyo was going to make you into a Lina-kebab," her friend replied. "I just got enough exercise to last me a lifetime," Kitsune added jokingly.

"We're going to have to do a little climbing to get back to the camp," Inuyasha called from the front of the travelers. That reminded Kitsune that Koga had basically jumped off a cliff to reach Lina. It was going to be a long trek "home".

The moon was still out and the darkness was only making their trip back to the cave harder. Everyone was looking forward to being able to get any extra time to rest when they returned.

"Umm, guys. Should we be letting Lina sleep, right now?" Kagome asked randomly.

"Why not? She's obviously wore out," Koga replied. He had been keeping tabs on her breathing just in case she stopped for some unknown reason. And for the moment her breaths were perfectly even.

"Crap, Kagome's right!" Kitsune realized. "She might have a concussion from falling. We don't know if she hit something on the way down or not," she added looking at her friend worryingly.

"Then what are you guys waiting for! Wake her ass up," Inuyasha stated as they reached the bottom of the bluff that they were about to climb.

Kitsune walked to Koga's side, grabbing ahold of her sleeping friend's shoulder.

"Lina, wake up," she said, shaking her lightly. This didn't affect the sleeping warrior at all.

"I think you're going to have to be tougher than that," Koga sighed.

The wolf-demon proceeded to jump up and down. "WAKE UP!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Earthquake!" he cried out in another attempt to wake Lina.

"Stop it," she stated groggily.

"You need to stay awake," Kitsune demanded. She took Lina's face in her hands. "Lina, you must stay awake. Do you understand me? I don't want you to fall asleep and never wake up," Kitsune stated firmly.

"But I'm so tired," she yawned in reply.

Inuyasha took Lina off of Koga's back and held her bridal style.

"What are you doing, dog-breath," the wolf-demon growled.

"I'm going to keep her awake while we head back to the cave," Inuyasha growled back. "Kagome get on my back," he demanded. The young girl complied immediately. She could sense that Inuyasha was becoming impatient.

Without another word the half-demon began climbing his way up the cliff. He stopped every so often and gave Lina a couple taps on the face until she came back to.

Koga glared at his least favorite group member as he took Kitsune up into his arms. "I freakin' hate that guy," the wolf-demon mumbled.

All Kitsune could do was smile and pat Koga on the head. "It'll be alright. He's probably just hungry," she whispered back to the man that was carrying her up the cliff-side.

It didn't take long for the two demons to reach the top of the waterfall. After checking to see if Lina was still hanging in there, they continued towards the cave. Inuyasha kept a fast, steady pace until he spotted Shippo sitting outside the natural rock opening.


	23. Lost

Inuyasha laid Lina down by the fire. He was in such a hurry that he accidentally let her head hit the ground.

"Hey watch it mutt! If you wouldn't have taken her from me back there I would never be so careless with her!" Koga growled. "Why did you have to take her anyway, I'm more capable than you are!" Koga added angrily.

Inuyasha looked down at Lina, embarrassed that he had dropped her.

"Cuz' I feel guilty okay! She wouldn't be hurt if Kikyo didn't try to kill her," Inuyasha stated, his voice turning solemn. "And Kikyo wouldn't try to kill anyone if it wasn't for me," he added quietly.

"What happened!?" Miroku asked nervously as he hobbled over to where Lina's body lied. He was happy to see her give him a faint smile, but she looked weakened. Her usual pink skin had turned almost blue.

Kitsune explained everything to the monk and the fox-demon.

"It's all my fault. If I didn't have this damn injury!" Miroku stated furiously.

"No monk, it's not your fault you can't even walk. I'm perfectly alright….I should have sensed the problem and got to her sooner," Koga replied in a low voice.

_What a bunch of martyrs _Kitsune thought to herself. It wasn't like Lina was dead…she knew her friend was stronger than they gave her credit for.

"I'm fine…I'm just so tired," Lina whispered hearing all of the commotion.

Miroku sat on the ground, pulling Lina's head on to his lap. "We can't let you fall asleep quite yet. But you will be able to soon, trust me," he said in a soothing voice. He softly stroked her damp hair that was slowly drying by the heat of the fire.

"Miroku, I don't think you're helping; I think you're putting her to sleep," Kagome stated quietly.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. He immediately removed his hand from her hair and used it to slap Lina on her forehead. The sharp smack sound resonated throughout the large cave. Lina growled and her eyebrows furrowed in an annoyed expression. The spot on her forehead quickly turned red.

"How is slapping her going to help her concussion!?" Inuyasha yelled angrily.

"I'm doing the best I can here!" Miroku called out in angry confusion.

"Oh boy….it's going to be a long night," Kitsune sighed placing her head in her hands.

Kitsune sat at the entrance of the cave, her head leaning back against the cold rock. Her shift was almost over and she heard the first sound of birds awakening in their nests. How nice it must have been to sleep in a nest instead of on the damp, cold ground.

At least the birds had their companions to keep them warm, whereas Kitsune hadn't had anyone to keep her company throughout her whole shift. She shivered in the dimness of the dawn. Even though it was the middle of the summer, the dense trees of the Forest of Dreams blocked any sun rays from warming the undergrowth.

She had periodically checked on Lina, who was doing much better now that she was allowed to rest. The color had come back to her face and her breathing was hearty.

Miroku was sleeping against the cave wall with Lina's head in his lap and the rest of the group was scattered around in the lit cave. The fire was kept going in order to warm Lina's damp body throughout the rest of the night.

Koga had left a while ago to go find any source of food for the group. _Probably fish…again_ Kitsune thought. She sighed; she would have given anything for a hot, juicy steak at that moment.

She looked up at the sky to see that it was unusually dark for dawn. She felt a cold rain drop land on her nose. She held her hand out as a couple more rain drops landed on her palm. She had to make sure it was rain and not some crazy, demon-acid juice.

_You never know with this forest_ she thought licking the drops on her palm. _Yep…just rain_. Suddenly a barrage of large droplets was raining down upon her, stinging her sensitive skin. She was practically soaked in a minute.

She angrily scooted back into the shelter of the cave. The sound of the rain drops bouncing off the leaves resonated through the rock walls, amplifying everything.

She stood up and walked to her backpack to get a change of clothes. Her damp shirt and shorts clung to her skin, making her shiver. She pulled her shirt over her head and was about to unhook her bra when she felt a pair of eyes on her. She looked into the dim cave to see two yellow orbs.

"What the hell Inuyasha!" she yelled covering her front.

"I-I just woke up, I didn't even know what I was looking at!" he yelled defensively as he covered his eyes.

"I thought Miroku was the perverted one in the group, gross!" Kitsune cried quickly pulling on a dry shirt.

"Why would I even be looking at you Kitsune?" Inuyasha scoffed in an irritated voice.

The rest of the group began to wake up, disturbed by all the loud yelling.

"What the hell? The sun's barely up guys! Can't a girl get some sleep?" Lina asked rubbing her tired eyes. Her head surprisingly didn't hurt anymore and if anything she felt too hot by the fire.

Miroku rubbed his eyes as well, suddenly conscious of the girl's head between his legs. He shifted slightly and when Lina noticed she flew her head up, a nervous blush on her cheeks.

"At least you have your color back," Kitsune stated smiling.

"Where's Koga?" Lina asked hoping to distract everyone.

Kitsune had a shocked look on her face as she remembered that Koga hadn't come back.

"He left a while ago for food and hasn't been back…I'm beginning to get worried," she said with a scared expression. The sound of the heavy rain was almost enough to drown out her voice.

"Eh, who cares if he's gone? Plus he's a big boy he can take care of himself," Inuyasha scoffed. "I'm more worried about getting food," he added under his breath.

"Inuyasha! I care! Please you're the only one that can track him in all this rain," Kitsune pleaded.

"It's just rain! He's not gonna drown!" Inuyasha yelled back.

"Come on Inuyasha…we should find him just in case. I'll go with you, you can never be too safe," Miroku stated getting to his feet.

"Are you sure?" Lina asked worriedly looking at the monk's bandaged leg. It was the first time that the bandage had stayed clean for more than a couple hours.

"It's practically good as new," Miroku smiled giving Lina a reassuring look.

"Be careful you two," Kagome stated. Inuyasha grunted loudly, expressing his distaste for the whole thing. Despite being upset about it, he stood up to follow Miroku out into the rain.

Koga growled furiously, missing yet another fish. He only was able to catch three before this damn rain started, muddying his vision into the river's waters.

"Damnit!" he called out sinking his claws into the water, only to bring up mud and silt. He knew he had been gone for quite a while, but he wasn't about to go back empty handed. _Not so that mutt can show me up_ he thought bitterly.

He sat down on the edge of a large river-rock, feeling his frustrations get the better of him. He was never this insecure, but something about having Kitsune around made him want to show off all the time. He just wanted to show her how capable he was and right now he seemed to only be failing.

A small voice from nearby rang in Koga's ears, snapping him from his thoughts. He jumped up to a defensive pose, his claws out.

"Who's there?" the wolf-demon bellowed into the dim, rainy scene.

The voice didn't answer, it only got louder. Koga could hear that it was a female's voice. Whoever it was she was singing a soft, melodic song that seemed to intrigue Koga. He followed it slightly downstream and saw the owner of the pretty voice.

Koga's eyes took in the female sitting on a rock, singing as she brushed her long black hair in the rain. She had beautifully pale skin and lips that were painted deep red. She was wearing a traditional long kimono that sloped in the front.

He felt guilty staring at her figure, knowing Kitsune would be pissed if she knew what his thoughts were. But hey, he was still a man.

The strange woman looked up to see her intruder and as she did, her deep blue eyes pierced into Koga's. He felt his mind begin to melt away.

"Finally…I knew you would come for me," the woman said in an angelic tone, holding her arms out as if to invite Koga in. Koga felt helpless as he followed her voice, heading steadily towards her cold embrace.


	24. The River Sirens

"They have been gone for quite a while," Lina said anxiously. Not only was she worried about Miroku but she was constantly reminded of her hunger by her growling stomach.

Kitsune had been looking out into the raining distance for what felt like hours. She didn't know what could be taking them all so long to come back. She thought she saw dark figures heading towards the cave multiple times but it was only her mind playing tricks on her.

"I hate this damn forest," Kitsune started angrily. "All it does it play tricks on people and make people worry," she added in a huff.

"I second that," Lina stated. She wanted to leave as soon as possible but they needed to figure out more about Naraku before they could do that.

"Hey look, the rain is easing up," Kagome stated, pointing outside. The rain was finally beginning to subside and small rays of sun showed through the tree branches.

Lina got up and stretched. It was the first time she had been able to stand up since she had fallen in the river.

"What are you doing?" Shippo asked. He had an incredibly cozy place by the fire.

"Well we're going after them right?" Lina asked. Kitsune jumped up, weapon already in hand. She put their backpack on and helped Kagome to her feet.

The group of girls, plus Shippo, headed into the dewy forest without hesitation. Light drops could still be felt on their skin and hair, but it wasn't enough to disturb them.

"I'm assuming that Koga went to get fish, so maybe we should check at the river first," Kitsune said thoughtfully.

Lina shivered at the word river. She hated that place now, but she had to push on to find Miroku. _What if they were attacked and his leg slowed him down too much? _Lina thought worriedly.

"I hear something," the small fox-demon called out after they had been walking for quite some time.

The girls tilted their heads, hoping to catch sound of what Shippo had heard. It was very faint but it almost sounded like….laughing.

_Is that Miroku's voice? _Lina thought to herself as they walked closer to the faint sound.

"I hear Koga….and Inuyasha I think," Kagome said in a voice that sounded anything but positive.

"What the hell would they be doing laughing together like that? They hate each other," Kitsune mumbled.

"Whatever it is they're doing, let's try not to be too surprised. This is the Forest of Dreams after all, who knows what kind of mind games are being played on us right now," Lina stated in a low, but firm whisper.

The other two girls nodded in response. The three silently pushed forward, entering the clearing by the river.

The image before them was more than shocking.

Lina gulped loudly, wishing that she could have taken her own advice; what she was looking at was just too unexpected.

"Um….guys…what do we do?" Kagome whispered. The girls were standing at the edge of the clearing, barely hidden by sparse foliage. They were staring, wide-eyed at their male companions who all seemed to be relaxing…surrounded by women.

Koga was waist deep in the river, his naked chest and torso sticking out of the water. Two beautiful women stood on either side of him, humming sweetly as they combed his long black hair.

Inuyasha sat lazily on a large boulder with his kimono open as two women messaged his arms and shoulders.

Miroku was lounging in the grass with his robe opened, pulled down to his waist. Three women were lounging around him giggling and touching his body often.

"We're so lucky you strong men came along, we were so scared," one woman said softly twisting Miroku's pony-tail around her finger.

"We've never seen a monk quite so handsome before," another said giggling delicately.

The women all looked different; some had black hair tied up with bows, some had long, flowing white hair, and some had wavy brown hair that fell to their shoulders. They all; however, had the same deep, blue eyes that glittered in the morning sun.

"Where did all these women come from?" Kitsune asked sounding insanely jealous. Lina, her arms crossed, didn't look any happier.

"I don't know but I'm about to chase them off," she mumbled with her hand on the hilt of her sword. _Not to mention kill Miroku_ she thought angrily. She knew that he was flirty and tried her best to accept it, but this was an all-time low.

"Wait, they might be demons!" Kagome whispered harshly while putting her hand on Lina's shoulder. Lina reluctantly took her hand off Raitou, sighing as she was forced to watch Miroku drool over three women.

"Koga, we are so lucky you happened to _get lost _when you did or else we would have never seen these beautiful ladies," Miroku said running his finger over one girl's cheek. "I can't decide which one of you is prettier…I'll just have to have all of you," Miroku stated, his voice as smooth as silk.

"This is the only time I've ever been happy with Koga," Inuyasha stated, closing his eyes as the woman behind him rubbed at a tender spot on his neck.

"Something's definitely wrong…..Inuyasha just called Koga by his actual name," Kitsune exclaimed. She heard Kagome gasp as she realized the same thing.

"It's a good thing I heard Isa's sweet voice," Koga stated smiling pleasantly at one of the women standing next to him. She looked older than the rest of the young women and had red lips painted on her mischievous smile.

"Aw Koga-kun, what about my voice; is it as sweet as Isa's?" the other woman next to him whined with a pretty pout.

"I think Koga just likes me better, don't you Koga?" the woman purred in the wolf-demon's ear.

"Ladies, don't worry, I can give you equal attention that you both deserve," Koga said in a husky voice making the women giggle.

"Isa, why don't you sing for us? I want to hear that beautiful voice Koga speaks of," Miroku stated.

The older woman walked gracefully out of the water to sit on a large rock in the middle of the three men. She took a small flute out of her pocket and began to play a sweet song. She started to sing melodic words in a high-pitched tone.

Kitsune couldn't help but think that it was entrancing. She stared at Koga's dreamy expression, feeling a hot feeling of anger, jealousy, and sadness rising in her belly. As she stared at his face she thought she saw his blue eyes flash to a deeper blue, the same color eyes as the women around him.

"Did you see that or am I just going crazy?" Lina whispered in her friend's ear. Kagome noticed it too as she watched Inuyasha's yellow eyes flash to ocean-blue.

"Her song…it's putting them under a spell," Lina stated.

"Like sirens," Kitsune added.

_Maybe we won't have to kill the three fools after all _Lina thought smiling. At least this time Miroku had an excuse for his lecherous ways.

"I wonder why it has no effect on us," Kagome thought aloud. "Or Shippo for that matter," she added.

"Uh, I wouldn't be too sure about that," Kitsune stated pointing to the tiny fox-demon. His eyes were glazed over as he began walking towards the women.

"He's going to blow our cover!" Lina whispered with the tiny demon barely out of her reach. "Shippo no!" she yelled, falling on her stomach as she lunged for the boy. When she hit the ground the clearing became silent.

All seven of the women jumped from their relaxed positions, glaring at the three girls. "Intruders!" the leader of them yelled pointing at the girls.

Kitsune noticed that the three men didn't even look in their direction. They were too deep under the sirens' spell that they didn't recognize their own companions.

Lina quickly jumped to her feet. "Release our men from your spell now!" she demanded, once again placing her hand on Raitou's hilt.

"What do you plan to do with them?" Kagome asked; she too had her weapon drawn.

"Silly human girls…walking around with men as if they were your allies. Men only serve as vessels for protection and reproduction, which is what we plan to use them for," the leader answered simply.

"What should we do with the girls Lady Isa?" one woman with long white hair asked, standing next to her master.

"We have been waiting here for three handsome, powerful men to come along and we are not going to give them up now sisters. Kill the intruders; girls are of no use to us," the head-siren said with a powerful voice.


	25. Defeat of Lady Isa

The six women turned towards the girls, their faces slowly morphing from the beautiful ones to ugly, demonic ones. With a banshee-like scream, the sirens flew with their fangs out, straight towards Kagome, Kitsune, and Lina.

Kagome quickly put down one of the charging demons with her arrow. The she-demon withered in pain as it tried to remove the foreign object from her chest. Without a second thought Kagome released a second arrow, but this time the shaft flew through the monster's eye socket.

_Damn, she must be pissed _Lina and Kitsune thought. They had never seen their companion so worked up. There was a hint of fire burning in her eyes. The look on her face made it known that this was a personal battle. No one messes with the men and gets away with it. That was for sure.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get," Kitsune growled. Kensaki no Muchi transformed in the palm of her hand. She was looking forward to making these seductresses pay.

"I hope you've all made your peace, slut-demons, because you're about to meet your maker," Lina smiled. She cracked her knuckles before she unsheathed Raitou. The lightening sword glowed as the young warrior held it in front of her body in a fighting stance.

The harpies paused their attack for a moment. It seemed like they were debating whether they should continue their assault.

"I said kill them!" Lady Isa screeched with her once lovely voice now coarse with anger. The sirens resumed to charge forward. There were only six of them left and that included the leader.

"This should be easy," Lina whispered more to herself than to anyone else. Kitsune nodded in agreement. Within moments all three girls were locked in battle with the she-demons.

They were surprisingly a lot more powerful then Lina and Kitsune had anticipated. And the harpies definitely didn't give up easily. Many of them had arrows sticking out of multiple spots on their bodies, but it seemed as if they didn't even notice. They kept swiping claw-like nails at the girls.

Hisses and grunts filled the once peaceful scene. Koga, Inuyasha and Miroku were still in their relaxed poses. The men hadn't batted an eye lash at the scene that now surrounded them.

"Die, you monstrous slut," Lina yelled as her sword met with flesh. A green-goo squirted from the clean cut across the she-demon's throat. The warrior wiped sweat from her forehead as she watched her opponent's body fall to the ground.

Kagome had pierced another with a swift arrow to the heart.

Kitsune had her spiked whip wrapped tightly around another's neck. She watched as the monster struggled to try to get free, only cutting her hands and throat even more deeply.

Lina walked up to the hostile creature. "You picked the wrong men to fuck with," she growled as she plunged her sword into its back, severing its spine.

A banshee screech silenced the battle ground. The remaining two sirens' eyed their leader waiting for further instruction. Isa wasn't pleased with how the encounter was turning out and decided to participate in combat.

"You _women _are getting on my last nerve. I shall end this myself," the leader hissed. Her venom-filled words hung in the air.

"I was thinking the same thing," Kitsune retorted. She gripped onto Kensaki no Muchi's handle tighter. The sirens didn't charge right away like they had before. This time they seemed wearier of their enemies.

Isa hadn't expected the three girls to be such a challenge. She was so sure that her and her she-demons would have taken the men as prizes much more easily than this. Now more than half of her followers were dead. This was a problem.

The harpies were much more powerful when they had numbers on their side. With three of them, it was going to be much more difficult to lure men into their almost full-proof plan. Isa had to reconsider her plan of attack.

At first it was ideal that the human women died. But now things had changed. The she-demon smiled as she realized what had to be done to insure the survival of her siren clan.

"As punishment for the almost extinction of my race, you shall join us," Isa stated matter-of-factly.

Lina looked over at Kitsune with an expression that said, "What the hell did she just say?" Shock consumed the three girls. They hadn't expected this kind of development in the situation.

"Hold them down," Isa instructed to her two remaining followers.

"I dare you to try to touch us," Lina exclaimed. The warrior pointed her sword towards one of the harpies. Lightening flowed out of the tip.

The siren hadn't expected this kind of attack and was too slow to dodge it. The electric energy burned a hole through its chest. The smell of cooking flesh filled the air.

Lina looked down at her weapon with a smile pulling at her lips. It never ceased to amaze her how badass Raitou was.

A painful cry escaped from Isa. "You will pay," she screamed. "All of you will pay!" the leader added. She sprinted at Kitsune who was prepared for the she-demon.

The last follower went for Kagome. She reached for one last arrow, but to her surprise she found that she had used them all. The only thing she could do was dodge the siren's attacks and hope for the best.

Lina searched for a way to help out her companion. She ran over to one of the dead followers that had an arrow sticking out of its arm. In one swift yank she removed the object. To her disappointment she found that the siren's acidic blood had dissolved the arrow head. "Damn," Lina cursed under her breath as she continued her search.

Kitsune was sealed in intense battle with the leader. Her whip cracked as it tore through the air towards the enraged Isa. Instead of hitting the she-demon, Kensaki no Muchi wrapped around a nearby tree branch. Kitsune tried with all her strength to get the spikes to unhook from the bark.

She soon had to halt her attempts because Isa was rapidly approaching her. The siren had her teeth bared. Her canines extended as she neared the retreating warrior.

Lina was racking her brain. She could only think of one thing that could help Kagome. She ran over to where Miroku still laid and grabbed his staff.

"Kagome, catch!" Lina yelled as she threw the metal rod in her friend's direction. She complied timely as she reached out for the monk's staff. Once the weapon was in her possession, the situation changed immediately.

Now that Kagome was armed, she didn't have to run anymore. She turned to face her pursuer. The siren's haughty demeanor vanished. Kagome was in control now and the she-demon wasn't very pleased about it.

"It looks like the tables have turned," the young woman stated with a smile upon her face. Her enemy hissed in reply. Not wasting another moment, Kagome sprinted at the demon that was so set on turning her and her friends into sirens.

With the staff raised over her head she slammed it down onto the harpies head with all the strength she could muster. A cracking noise filled the air as the she-demon's skull broke. Not wanting to risk the chance that the blow hadn't killed her enemy, Kagome landed a couple more blows. The siren's brain matter now leaked through its hair.

Throwing the staff aside, Kagome fell to her knees. She suddenly realized how exhausted she was.

Lina turned her attention back to her struggling friend. Isa had not given up even though she was the only siren left. If anything this made her even more anxious to get her hands on the fleeing woman.

Kitsune jumped and dodged the best she could. But it was only a matter of time until the siren leader landed an attack.

Lina grabbed Raitou in her hand and went to aid her troubled friend. All she could think of was ending this slut-demon and saving Kitsune and the men.

Isa was so caught up in pursuing Kitsune that she didn't even realize that Lina was approaching from behind. The warrior reached out and laced her fingers in the siren's hair. Giving a hard tug she brought her enemy to her knees. Isa tried to escape from Lina's hold, but soon found it useless.

Realizing that this was the end, the leader shifted back into her beautiful woman disguise. "I was just trying to do what was best for my people," the she-demon wept. "I wanted them to have the best life possible, but I failed them," she added. Tears leaked from her deep ocean-blue eyes.

For a second Kitsune and Lina felt sorry for this monstrous creature. All she was trying to do was to insure the survival of her own people; it was the circle of life. It was unfortunate that it had to end this way, but there was no other option. If Lina let her go, she knew the she-demon wouldn't hesitate to attack again. The only way to end the siren's spell was to end Isa's life.

_Please…forgive me for what I'm about to do _Lina prayed. Bringing herself in front of the siren leader with her fingers still gripping her jet black hair, Lina plunged her sword into Isa's heart. Removing her weapon quickly from the woman's chest; she let loose of her mane as well.

The siren's irises lost their color of brilliant blue and faded into a grayish white as her body slumped to the ground.

Lina looked away from the lifeless body, suddenly feeling like she was the monster. Kitsune walked up to her friend and placed her hand on her shoulder. "It had to be done," she whispered. Even though she had to admit that she shared Lina's feelings.

"I can't believe I did those things," the third girl cried out. She had never been so violent in her life. And she couldn't understand what had come over her.

Kagome was kneeling a couple yards away from the two girls. She was staring at the gore that lay before her. "It's this forest," she cried out, covering her face with both her hands. "This forest is making me insane," she sobbed again.

Kitsune looked down to find that Lina was also silently sobbing as well. Wrapping her arms around her best friend and burying her face into her shoulder, Kitsune openly joined the two girls and cried also.


	26. Lord Sesshomaru

"Hey, what's with the crocodile tears?" Inuyasha asked, standing in front of Kagome.

The girl looked up at the smirking half-demon who blocked the sun out of her eyes. She sniffled, wiping her face.

"Oh Inuyasha!" she cried flinging herself around his legs as she continued to cry softly.

Inuyasha softly pet Kagome's black hair attempting to sooth the crying girl.

Miroku had come-to and walked over to the sobbing Lina. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she turned around to face him. Her eyes were swollen and red and she had green and brown smears all over her kimono.

Lina immediately turned into the monk, pushing her face into his chest in a needy embrace. "I hate you, you big pervert!" Lina cried into his chest. He could feel the wet stains of her tears. He smiled knowing that she really meant the word 'love' instead of hate.

Koga had finally begun to come-to as well as he looked around with a confused expression. Not only did he have no idea where he was, he was in the water, practically half-naked, and his hair was laying down instead of being in its normal pony-tail.

After tying his hair back, he stepped out of the water and quickly put his armor on. He ran to Kitsune in attempts to comfort her, but she quickly turned her back to him.

"Kitsune what's wrong?" he asked putting his hand on her shoulder. She quickly shook it off.

"Is it about that woman? Kitsune I'm sorry I looked at her, you know I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Koga said in a smooth voice.

"Not just the one woman Koga, what about the other one?" Kitsune asked with a quiet voice.

"Other one? What are you talking about?" Koga asked confused.

"There were women here?" Miroku asked in a surprised voice looking around.

"You really don't remember anything?" Kitsune asked turning to face Koga. He was stricken by the tear stains on her cheeks and the all-around shape she was in. Her clothes were stained with what smelled like blood and her knees and arms were scraped.

Before he could ask what happened to her, she flung her arms around his torso, pulling him into a tight embrace. He smiled softly; he didn't know which was cuter, her jealousy or her need for him at that moment.

Lina, who had finished crying, wiped the left-over tears from her face, smearing dirt across her cheek as she did so.

"Can anyone explain what happened here? You guys look like hell," Inuyasha stated noticing Kagome's filthy uniform.

The girl began to explain to the men about the sirens seductive plan and the battle that ensued. The mighty half-demon had a bright pink blush appear to his cheeks when he heard of the she-demons plans for him.

"How was I supposed to know that that mangy wolf was going to lead us into that mess!?" Inuyasha said crossing his arms.

"I didn't know what was going on idiot; she put me under a spell!" Koga retaliated.

"Inuyasha, why would you be mad? We were surrounded by beautiful women that wanted to bear our children…doesn't sound that bad to me," Miroku stated nonchalantly.

Lina sighed deeply, pinching the skin between her eyes in frustration. At least everything was back to normal.

"I would really like to get out of this forest now," Kagome stated as she picked up the little fox-demon. Shippo was still passed out from briefly being under the siren's spell.

"What about Naraku's trail?" Koga asked. He still hadn't let go of Kitsune; he enjoyed he softness of her embrace too much.

"Screw Naraku right now! We're all filthy and tired of almost getting killed. I'm sure we can find something to help us on our way out of here," Lina stated boldly.

"I agree," Kitsune retorted.

Inuyasha sighed; he knew he couldn't argue with three emotional, exhausted women. "Well let's get a move on then," Inuyasha stated as he started to walk off. Everyone immediately followed, filing behind him like a marching army.

The forest seemed alive with singing birds and humming insects flying around the branches of the trees. If it wasn't the forest from hell Kitsune would have found it quite beautiful.

"I hope there's a hot spring or a village where we can bathe somewhere near here," Kagome stated. The three girls could smell themselves, meaning that all the men could as well.

"Let's pick up the pace then," Inuyasha stated moving from a slow, leisurely movement to a speed-walk. The group kept this pace for what felt like hours. Beads of sweat were starting to form on Lina's forehead as they marched further and further out of the thickness of the forest. She looked up as she noticed the edge of the trees getting thinner. They were almost out.

Suddenly Inuyasha halted, stopping the group dead in their tracks.

"What is it?" Kagome asked quietly.

"Sesshomaru's headed this way," Koga answered, smelling the same familiar scent that had stopped Inuyasha.

"The older brother?" Kitsune asked. She was almost excited to see what this full-demon version of Inuyasha looked like. _Imagine the dog-ears on him! _She thought excitedly.

"Yes, and it's never a good thing when he shows up," Miroku stated, gripping tightly to his staff.

"Well well…if it isn't my younger brother," a smooth voice sounded from nearby.

A tall man appeared wearing a white and red kimono. He had long, silky white hair that almost appeared silver in the sunlight. His eyes were the same yellow as Inuyasha's and he had pointy demon-ears like Koga.

His face was incredibly handsome and there was an empty look upon it as he gazed at his brother's troop. He wasn't what Lina and Kitsune had expected to see at all. He had a look of disappointment on his face as he judged the sight of his younger brother standing before him.

Behind Sesshomaru was a very small, toad-like demon leading a two-headed dragon creature. On the back of the dragon was a very young, human girl.

"What are you doing here Sesshomaru? Are you lost or somethin'," Inuyasha asked mockingly.

"I could ask you the same thing Inuyasha. I can smell that you have added two new humans to your odd pack…how quaint. And you are traveling with the wolf too. What's wrong brother; do you need the extra help?" Sesshomaru stated making Inuyasha and Koga growl under their breath.

"Hey, I'm not like any other human you've ever met. I can guarantee you that, hot-stuff," Lina stated winking at the handsome demon. _Miroku's not the only one that can flirt_ she thought giggling to herself.

Sessomaru's eyes glared in the direction of the voice. When he saw the owner, he couldn't help but look surprised as his mouth fell open. He quickly closed it, hiding any proof that he recognized the two new human girls.

"Why you wench! No one speaks to Lord Sesshomaru in that manner!" the green demon screeched, waving a staff around.

"Jaken, hold your tongue," Sesshomaru stated in a calm voice. He narrowed his eyes at the two women. _But it can't be…._he thought. _They are supposed to be dead_.

It had been years since he had laid his eyes on Yuuko and Naoko and there they were…as beautiful as ever. Ever since he heard news of their passing he hadn't thought of the two demon slayers. He had thought he wiped away all memories of them until now.

He closed his eyes and flashed back to when he first met Yuuko. She was the first human he had ever met that was brave enough to take him on and she did so with such grace it amazed him. In the middle of a battle with her he had finally overcome her.

Before he could end her life she pulled the demon into a powerful kiss. He was caught and naïve enough to have no capacity to control his sexual urges. After that he had his way with her; sparing her life.

One night he was hanging around her castle walls in the dark, waiting for her to emerge when he had met Naoko instead. Naoko had a strong heart and such an inner peace that he never knew was possible. He was captivated by her and just had to have her as well.

The two were equally beautiful and enchanting. He had mated with each of the two women several times. There was never love or jealousy between them; the two never shared any feelings with him other than lust.

He remembered one night waiting in the forest nearby their castle, anticipating who would come out to meet him; wondering whose turn it was to lay with him.

One time he was even surprised to see both Yuuko and Naoko emerge from the undergrowth of the forest, ready to take him on as a pair. They could never get enough of him. After they each met their deaths he swore to never return to their castle. He had to admit that he respected them and could still remember the smell and taste of each one.

The two women that he stood staring at didn't have the same scent that he had remembered from so long ago. He looked at them coldly; his eyes gave nothing away. Sesshomaru knew that he couldn't speak of his past affairs to anyone.

"If you are attempting to find Naraku, I must inform you that you are headed the opposite way," Sesshomaru said plainly after a long moment of silence.

"How do you know?" Inuyasha snapped back without hesitation.

"I've already searched this forest without being slowed down by any lesser demons. I have strong reason to believe he is hiding at a fortress to the south," Sesshomaru stated, unsure of why he was giving this information to his younger half-brother.

"WHAT!? We have been going the wrong way the entire time!?" Inuyasha growled furiously.

"Now now Inuyasha, did you really expect finding him to be that easy? I pity your foolishness. Too bad I will be the first to reach him," Sesshomaru stated. In one swoop of air he was flying in the sky high above the group.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru, wait for us!" Jaken cried as he and the little girl jumped on to the dragon to follow the powerful dog-demon. Sesshomaru was determined to be the first to find Naraku, but now that he knew about Yuuko and Naoko's reappearance he would be sure to keep a close eye on the group.

"Why are you in such a hurry my lord? Did you recognize those women?" Rin asked sweetly as A-Un caught up to the flying demon.

"Rin you do not ask Lord Sesshomaru these things that are not your business!" Jaken snapped at the little girl.

"Uh, come to think of it my lord, those women did look very familiar," Jaken said thinking in the back corners of his mind.

"Forget it Jaken. It's not of any importance to you," Sesshomaru stated simply giving Jaken a glare.

"Oh, s-sorry my lord!" Jaken stuttered.

"Inuyasha, how come you never told us how sexy your brother is!? God who would have ever guessed?" Kitsune asked making the half-demon sigh loudly. It was all that Kitsune and Lina had been talking about since the powerful dog-demon had left.

"I don't know what you guys think is so great about him. He's pretty useless to me," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Actually he's a pretty formidable foe. You girls may not like him so much if he tried to kill us," Miroku stated with an annoyed expression. He and Koga had been throwing themselves a pity-party since the encounter with Sesshomaru.

"He walks around with a little girl and a frog, how dangerous can he be?" Kitsune asked sarcastically.

"I like that he's dangerous, it just makes him sexier," Lina mumbled making her friend giggle.

"Let's just keep walking alright? Keep your mind out of the gutter and on our mission," Inuyasha stated angrily. He was furious that they had to walk all the way back towards the direction of Lady Kaede's village.

"Are you going to go back to your tribe when we get close?" Kitsune asked Koga.

He still had his arms crossed, jealous about the attention Sesshomaru had received. "I dunno, I might," he said thoughtfully.

"Well I'm just excited to get to the next village so we can take a bath," Kagome stated. They had been keeping such a quick pace while walking; they were bound to come across a village soon.


	27. Wasted Time

"I can't believe we've wasted so much time going the wrong way!" Inuyasha cursed under his breath again. But it was obvious that he wasn't the only one who was upset by this new development in their journey.

Koga wasn't just upset about Kitsune giving more attention to another man, but they basically had to start their hunt for Naraku all over.

Miroku had been given a taste of his own medicine and wasn't enjoying it very much. He never thought Lina to be the flirty type, but she proved him wrong. His feelings were a little hurt, but so was his spirit at this point. They had thought that they were following Naraku. It turned out that they had been following nothing at all; a phantom. _All of this was for nothing _the monk thought sadly.

Kagome hadn't said a word since their run-in with Sesshoumaru.

Kitsune couldn't help but think that it was strange that Inuyasha's older brother was helping them. But she was grateful nonetheless. She thought back to how the dog-demon had looked at Lina and herself. It was crazy, but she swore she knew him from somewhere. But that was impossible.

The sun had completely set by the time they reached a village. Lina had a feeling she had been here before, but all the villages looked the same. And so did the residents. She let out a sigh. She was exhausted from the battle the girls had ensued while trying to save Koga, Miroku, and Inuyasha.

Then on top of that they had walked what felt like a hundred miles. All she wished for was a hot bath and a soft bed. And for the first time on this trip, Lina thought about how much she missed her home; her mother.

Little did she know that Kitsune was starting to feel the same way. She had been trying her best to aid the group with finding Naraku. Kitsune had pushed all her needs to the side and put everyone else's before hers. And it was getting frustrating.

She missed her mom, her brother, and her dogs. The warrior also missed going to the mall and school. _School… _Kitsune felt like she was forgetting something. Something that was really important to her.

She let out a gasp as she remembered what it was. The group looked at her, puzzled with no idea what was going on.

"What's wrong?" Lina questioned, her eyebrow dipping in concern.

"I just remembered that our admissions test is tomorrow!" her friend shrieked in reply. Lina's mouth dropped in disbelief.

"What's that?" Inuyasha asked.

"This is like my only chance to get into university!" Lina cried out. She couldn't believe that this was happening.

"University?" Inuyasha mumbled, looking at Koga and Miroku.

"Mine too! If we don't get there at ten tomorrow, we'll lose our spots," Kitsune stated franticly.

"You guys might just have to reschedule and take it some other day," Kagome said trying to be the reasonable one.

"You don't understand! It's not just any old university," Lina replied annoyed.

"It's _the _university," Kitsune sighed.

"You don't mean…?" Kagome sighed finally understanding.

"Tokyo University," Lina and Kitsune stated in unison.

"I still don't get it," Koga announced.

"Me either," Inuyasha and Miroku agreed.

After several minutes of trying to explain to the men what was going on they all seemed to catch on. "So what do we do?" Lina asked.

"Even if we walked all night, we still wouldn't make it to the well in the morning," Kitsune sighed in defeat. She could feel that she was on the verge of crying.

Lina placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. She understood exactly how Kitsune was feeling.

"There's got to be something we can do," Miroku stated, trying to keep everyone's spirits up. The group stood in silence while they all tried to think of a solution.

"Wait, I think I've got it!" Koga called out. The rest of the group looked at him expectantly. "Nah, never mind that would never work," he added, scratching his head.

"I wish we had that stupid two-headed dragon thingy right now," Lina sighed thinking back at how quickly it had disappeared in the distance with Sesshoumaru.

"Agreed," Kitsune interjected. She crossed her arms in annoyance. How could she forget something so important? Now Lina and her were going to pay the price.

"Why don't Inuyasha and Koga just run you guys to the well?" Shippo yawned from Miroku's shoulder. Lina smacked her forehead.

"Of course!" Kitsune smiled.

"Why didn't we think of that?" Inuyasha asked irritated.

"Do you think you'll make it there in time?" Kagome questioned.

"Of course we will! We'll get them there with time to spare," Koga stated cockily. Inuyasha grunted in agreement.

"Okay then what are we waiting for!" Kitsune declared.

"Hold on," Miroku interrupted walking over to Lina. She was already preparing to hop onto Inuyasha's back. The warrior handed Inuyasha the backpack that Kitsune and her have been sharing. Miroku took Lina into a tight embrace.

"Be safe," the monk whispered into her ear.

"I will," she replied. He let go of her and took a step back. His face was solemn, but his eyes were filled with worry.

"Don't be so serious, I'll be back soon," Lina smiled reassuringly. Miroku nodded returning her smile. Without warning the warrior locked her lips against the monk's. Lina wanted to continue kissing him, but knew it was time to go.

Giving Miroku one more peck on the lips, she walked back over to Inuyasha. Kitsune was already on Koga's back. Lina looked back at the group that was staying behind one last time.

She didn't realize how hard this was going to be. They had become her family. The warrior hopped onto the half-demon's back with a sigh.

"Bye," Kagome and Shippo called out. Kitsune turned and waved before Koga and her disappeared in a whirl wind of dust.

The trip had gone much more smoothly than the girls had anticipated. Kitsune had even fallen asleep for most of it.

Lina hadn't been so lucky. She would start to nod off, but before she could close her eyes, she would spot two yellow orbs staring at her. She hopped that it was only an owl who decided to follow the group through the forest terrain. But in the pit of her stomach she knew it was a demon stalking them. It was probably just Naraku keeping an eye on the two reincarnated demon-slayers.

The sky was barely starting to light up by the time they reached the Bone Eater's Well. Lina slid off Inuyasha's back. She stretched out her stiff body while letting out a loud yawn.

Kitsune mimicked her friend for a few moments, but then turned her attention to the wolf-demon that stood next to her. "Thanks for the ride," she smiled coyly.

"Anytime beautiful," Koga replied. He ran a finger across her cheek before pulling her in for a hug. Kitsune returned his embrace with no hesitation.

"Don't miss me too much," he grinned. Giving her a long, gentle kiss Koga said his goodbye.

"I'll try not to," Kitsune replied with a hint of pink appearing on her cheeks. The girls then jumped into the Bone Eater's Well relieved that they were going to make it to their entrance exams.

"Since when do you and Koga kiss?" Lina teased as her and Kitsune climbed out of the well.

Kitsune blushed, "Since we got wasted, plus it was just a peck," she laughed.

"Looked pretty hot to me," Lina teased again.

"You and Miroku were the ones making out over there," Kitsune replied in a huff as she jumped over the edge of the dusty well.

It was early in the morning and beams of light were shining into the old shrine. "Let's get a move on; we can't be late!" Kitsune stated as she started to run off.

"Wait!" Lina called as she grabbed her friend's arm. "We better change first," Lina stated hinting at their dirty, smelly clothes. Kitsune nodded in agreement and the two quickly changed into the clean clothes in their backpack.

The two ran throughout the neighborhood streets as if they were running from a demon. At least being in the feudal era had made them more prepared for anything. When they finally saw their school they began to slow down.

The two, completely out of breath, walked through the familiar halls. There was a small line of students, already filing into the test room. _Thank God we made it_ Kitsune thought, clutching her beating chest.


	28. Entrance Exam

Lina walked into the cold test room and grabbed a calculator, pencil, and the test booklet that were provided for the students. She gave her friend one more smile before sitting in a desk by a window.

The test proctor began the timer and gave the students 60 minutes to finish their exams. Lina opened her test and begun solving the problems on the first page with intense concentration. It felt odd to use a pencil after being in a historic time period for weeks.

She managed to stay focused for the first few questions but then found her eyes wondering off the page and out to the open field beside of the building. She felt as if she wasn't really inside the bright classroom; it all seemed to be a dream.

Her mind wondered off to Miroku; she thought about his lips and his beautiful eyes. She thought about all she had accomplished in the feudal era and longed to be back more than she had longed to be home.

Here she was just another student just taking orders. There she mattered; she was needed more than she ever thought she could be.

"Fifteen minutes left," the proctor stated sternly.

_Oh shit_ Lina thought snapping out of her daydreams to focus on her test. She heard movement in the room and looked up to see Kitsune walking towards the front desk. She kissed her test for good luck before turning it in and exiting the room. _How is she already done? _Lina wondered as she focused even harder on the test before her.

Kitsune sat in the hallway as she waited for her friend to finish her entrance exam. A small smile was on her lips; she knew she had nailed that test and a strong feeling of excitement rustled around in her belly.

This was what she loved; it was what she was truly good at. The door to the classroom creaked open and a familiar face peered out of the door down at Kitsune.

"Sai!" she yelled jumping up in excitement. She hadn't seen her close male-friend since school had ended for summer break.

"Oh my God Kitsune! I heard that you and Lina had gone missing. Your mom has been so worried about you; I was worried about you," the teenage boy stated pulling Kitsune in an embrace.

She hugged him tightly and felt a strange sadness come over her. She pulled away, looking at her friend Sai. She had always thought he was so handsome, even when they were in middle school together. She used to write his name in her notebooks and he would always throw notes at her in math.

He was tall, had light brown eyes, and had short, shaggy, dark hair. She smiled at him, earning a cute smile back. Their moment was interrupted by Lina emerging from the classroom.

"I'm glad you two are ok," Sai said rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Don't even ask us where we were…it's much too complicated," Lina sighed.

"The proctor said the exam scores will be on the website in an hour, let's all go get a late breakfast," Sai said smiling. "I don't want to be alone when I find out I probably failed," he added in a sad voice. Lina and Kitsune hastily agreed, eager to get modern food in their stomachs.

"Oh my gosh, the scores are up!" Kitsune yelled peering over Sai's shoulder at his laptop. The three had found a small restaurant that was still serving breakfast and were sitting in a booth enjoying their meals.

"Oh, me first!" Lina stated grabbing the computer. She gulped as her scores were loaded on to the page. She glanced through winced eyes and let out a sigh of relief. "Passed," she said smiling.

Kitsune had no time to celebrate for her friend as she grabbed the laptop for herself. She looked more determined than nervous. Her scores appeared and a huge smile spread across her face. "Top 90%!" Kitsune squealed happily. Lina clapped for her friend, knowing how much this meant to her.

"Hey congrats Kitsune! We're having a party at my house tonight for everyone that passed; I want you guys to come," Sai said smiling.

"Sure, that sounds great," Kitsune said smiling brightly. There was a hint of flirtation in his voice that was obvious to both Lina and Kitsune.

"Kitsune…can I talk to you for a minute," Lina said standing up. She pulled her friend into the restaurant's bathroom. "Kitsune shouldn't we be heading back soon? Everyone's waiting for us," Lina said in a concerned voice.

Kitsune looked down, biting her lip. She never knew how to deliver bad news to Lina. "Um Lina….I've been thinking a lot since we've been home and I don't think I want to go back," Kitsune stated simply.

Lina let out a laugh. "Yea right Kitsune, now let's say bye to Sai and head out. I know it will be hard cuz' he's practically in love with you but," Lina started.

Kitsune interrupted her. "I'm serious Lina. I got in the top 90% of the Tokyo University entrance exam and it was easy for me! This is where I belong. I want to learn new things and study animals and make a difference in the world," Kitsune stated slowly.

"B-but Kitsune, you can make a difference in the feudal era with us! We need you! I can't believe this, what about Koga?" Lina exclaimed growing upset.

"Koga….Tell Koga that he should marry Ayame. She loves him and together they can rebuild his clan. With me he would just get held back. I can't see him being too happy about having half-demons in his tribe. You're right that Sai seems like he's in love with me and I've always had a small crush on him. We can go to the university together and just be normal," Kitsune said sounding like she was trying to be positive.

"And you know his friend Haruka has always liked you…maybe if you talked to him and got to know him you would like him too," Kitsune suggested.

"Screw Haruka, screw being normal! You know how I feel about Miroku anyways. Kitsune, we can be happy, all of us!" Lina yelled. Her friend's eyes were sad and fixated on the ground.

"I can't believe this is happening," Lina said quietly. Her eyes were pleading for her friend to change her mind. "You're the one that said it was our destiny to stay there and help Inuyasha. You were there when Naoko and Yuuko told us that alone we'll die. I need you," Lina stated.

"I-I just don't fit in there. I choose to stay here," Kitsune stated sadly.

Lina saw that her friend was determined to stay. Fighting back angry tears, Lina stormed off out of the restaurant. _She will see after I leave that she needs to come back. She will go to her house, remember how annoying she thinks her brother is and remember how boring her life is and she will come back. She has to_ Lina thought as she walked quickly back to the well.

Her mind was ablaze with anger and disappointment with her best friend. She made it to the shrine and jumped into the well without a second thought. When she emerged from the other side the group could sense her anger.

"Where's Kitsune?" was the first thing out of Koga's mouth. Lina sighed deeply. She explained to the group about the inner crisis her friend was facing. She explained to Koga what Kitsune had said about being with Ayame.

"You're lying, she couldn't have said that!" Koga growled defensively.

"I wish I was lying," Lina stated sadly.

"I don't give a shit who this joker Sai is and I don't care about Ayame. Go back in there and drag her ass out!" Koga demanded.

"Koga I wish it was that easy, but she was determined to stay. She needs to come back on her own," Lina stated crossing her arms. She felt for Koga, but there was nothing she could do.

Koga let out another furious growl as he stamped off into the Forest of Inuyasha.

Lina let out another long, deep sigh as Miroku moved in to comfort her.

"I'm glad to see you back," he said giving her a light peck on her forehead. "We will figure all of this out," he added as he pulled her away from the well.

It seemed strange to be in the village without Kitsune or even Koga. Everyone was quiet as they sat in a circle. Lady Kaede came out of her hut periodically to talk to Kagome, but other than that it seemed like everyone was afraid to speak.

"I thought Kitsune wanted to stay here to help us. Does she not like us?" Shippo asked finally. Lina never thought that the little fox-demon cared, but his eyes were sad as he asked his question.

"No Shippo, it's not that. She feels like there isn't a place for her here in the feudal era. She always knew she wanted to go to Tokyo University and worked really hard her whole life to make sure her grades were high enough. She thinks it's her destiny," Lina stated thoughtfully.

"What can this so-called university teach her that we can't here?" Inuyasha asked. He still didn't seem to understand the concept of school.

"She wants to be a biologist or something like that. She wants to study animals," Lina said matter-of-factly.

"There's more animals here than in your weird home-land, she can just do that here!" he replied getting worked up.

Lina sighed knowing that talking about it was pointless. She wanted to give Kitsune some time to really decide whether or not she wanted to stay in her own time. Lina was too deep in thought to hear the grass rustling behind her as someone approached.

"What are you all talking about? Mind if I cut in?" a familiar voice sounded from behind the group.

Lina turned her head around to look at the woman behind her. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Sango! You're back!" Kagome shouted running to hug her friend.

_Oh great_ Lina thought setting her head in her hands. _Today couldn't possibly be any worse._


	29. Home

Kitsune sighed as she sat in front of her mirror.

After Lina went back to the feudal era Kitsune went home and went through the whole ordeal of explaining things to her mom. She didn't tell her family anything about where she had truly been; she feared they would put her in a mental institution. Her mom cried so much that she didn't even seem to care where Kitsune went; she was just happy she was alive.

Kitsune ran her fingers through her long hair, twirling some strands as she did so. She had been getting ready for Sai's party for the past thirty minutes. She put her favorite green summer-dress on and her favorite shade of lipstick. Everything seemed perfect.

_All that's missing is Lina_ she thought sadly. It wasn't like Kitsune frequented high school parties and she felt all alone. She wondered how Lina had delivered the news and wondered if the group back in the feudal era hated her now.

_They'd have every right to_ she thought sadly. Cutting off her ties with everyone now was easier than waiting until later. She just hoped that she would see Lina again soon.

She looked down at her phone, almost expecting a text from her best friend. It was around 8 o'clock and the party had started at 7:30. She wanted to be fashionably late. Sai's house was only a short walking distance from hers, so she didn't have to even borrow her mom's car.

"Well…here goes nothing," she whispered as she walked out of her house and out onto the cool street.

Sai's house was lit up and the music could be heard blasting from the around the corner.

Kitsune walked in nervously and was greeted by a group of drunken jocks from the school. She ignored them and headed for the bar of snacks and drinks. The music was so loud she could hardly hear herself think.

She poured herself a small glass of punch, assuming that it was filled with alcohol; she only took a small sip.

"Wow Kitsune, you look great," Sai said approaching her from the side. She gave him a hug and could smell that he had already had a couple drinks himself.

"Thanks," she murmured. "I see you have been partying pretty hard already," she added in a teasing voice.

"You should catch up with me, why not, it's a party!" he said smiling. "Hold on though, first I want to show you something," he said grabbing onto her hand. He pulled her through his house, past dancing students and drunken cheerleaders, and into his room.

"I've wanted to tell you this for a while Kitsune…I really like you," he said sitting on his bed.

She had always hoped that Sai was different than other high school teenagers, but seeing him drunk and trying to get her on his bed proved her wrong.

Kitsune allowed him a pass and sat next to him. She smiled nervously. "I like you too," she whispered.

Suddenly he grabbed her face, pulling her into a kiss. She was shocked. It wasn't anything like kissing Koga. Koga felt much more seasoned. He was always soft, but got the point across at the same time.

She found herself thinking about the wolf-demon. She thought about is muscles, his handsome face, and his eyes that made her want to melt. She suddenly missed him terribly.

_What am I doing here _her thoughts screamed. She broke the kiss.

"Sai…I-I'm not sure I want to do this," she stated plainly.

He put his hand on her waist. "Oh c'mon Kitsune…I've wanted to do this since middle school," he said, pulling her into another kiss. It was sloppy and anything but romantic. She thought about Koga again and the possibility of him mating with Ayame.

_I really messed up_ she thought as she pushed Sai away. "Sai really…I don't want to do this. I'm leaving," she stated quietly as she tried to stand up.

He pulled her back down, pushing her onto his bed.

"Hey!" she yelled. She pulled her fist back without hesitation, jabbing him in the nose.

"Ah! Bitch!" he cried with his hand flying up to his injured face. He pushed her down harder with his free hand and she started to panic. He was stronger than she expected. He removed his other hand from his nose and put it on Kitsune's other shoulder, holding her firmly.

Suddenly his body was off of her and he was across the room.

"She said no, asshole," a voice said in the dark room.

"Inuyasha!" Kitsune cried jumping up.

"You're a hard girl to find, you know that?" the half-demon stated, pulling Kitsune in his arms. In a flash he jumped out of the bedroom window, Kitsune in tow.

"How did you find me?" Kitsune asked. It was hard to hide the relief in her voice. She probably could have got herself out of the situation at the party, but she was great-full for Inuyasha. Just seeing him made her forget why she ever wanted to stay in this screwed-up time period.

"I had to sift through the smells of alcohol and vomit, but I finally picked up your scent," the half-demon said smirking. Kitsune was relieved to see that he wasn't angry with her.

"So judging by what I saw in there I guess the feudal era doesn't seem that bad to you now," he scoffed.

Kitsune didn't reply. She already knew that the event that took place was a sign for her to go back through the well with Inuyasha. _Where I DO belong_ she thought smiling.

Inuyasha dropped Kitsune at her doorstep. "Why are you here, why did you come back for me?" she asked finally.

"Kagome told me not to force you to do anything and to let you make your own decision on whether or not to come back," he started. She could sense the hesitation in his voice.

"Well…" he began wearily. "There have been some recent developments," he finished, looking awkward.

"Tell me," Kitsune demanded.

"Sango came back this morning….and…uh…well….Lina's gone," he stated slowly.

Kitsune's expression narrowed in determination. She didn't even need a second to think. "Wait here while I go change my clothes," she stated while turning around. "We're going home."


	30. Return of Lord Sesshomaru

"I seriously can't believe that this is happening," Lina grumbled as she made her way through the Forest of Inuyasha. "I should have stayed with Kitsune in our time," she sighed.

She thought everything would be different with Sango gone, and it was. But the moment the demon-slayer returned, everyone accepted her back; even Miroku. The monk even had the nerve to go up and give Sango a "welcome back," hug, but of course this hug consisted of the usual butt-rubbing ritual that he practiced regularly.

When Lina called him out in front of everyone, he had explained that he was only trying to be courteous.

"A little too courteous if you ask me," Inuyasha had whispered to Kagome.

She understood that he was a pervert and lecher and she accepted it to the best of her abilities, but this was different. This was his ex-lover for crying out loud! Lina had glared at the monk and demon-slayer before she walked away in a storm. Of course Miroku had called after her, but she ignored his pleas.

The warrior had no clue where she was heading. She thought about going home and giving up completely on this whole journey. But that wouldn't prove any good. She would be endangering this whole time period.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, and Koga didn't deserve to live in a broken world. They deserved peace and prosperity. Letting out a moan of discontent, Lina leaned against a nearby tree.

"What now?" she asked herself aloud. "I can't go home that's for sure," she stated. She was irritated with how moral she was being about the situation. Lina wished she didn't feel obligated to see this quest through.

"But there's no way I can continue with Inuyasha if Sango is going to be rejoining us. I can't stand the thought of them together," she cursed under her breath.

_I could try to take down Naraku myself _Lina thought. _But I would just end up getting myself killed. I don't stand a chance by myself _she added. She seemed to be stuck in a lose-lose-lose predicament.

Lina heard the underbrush rustle as something approached. Not taking the chance that it was a bandit or a demon, she drew Raitou.

"That wouldn't be much use against me," a deep, calming voice sounded out before the person was in view. _That voice _Lina believed she had heard it somewhere before.

"I'll be the judge of that," she retorted.

"Now, now Yuuko. There's no need for weapons," the intruder stated emerging from behind some close-by foliage. Who stood before her was the last person she ever expected.

"How do you know that name, Sesshomaru?" Lina interrogated. She refused to put her weapon down even though the dog-demon didn't hold one himself.

"I know you, Yuuko," he replied with a smug smile spreading across his lips.

"That's not my name anymore. In this life I'm known as Lina," she returned his self-satisfied grin.

"Just because you change your title, doesn't change who you are….Lina," Sesshomaru stated taking a step towards the battle-ready warrior.

Lina relaxed slightly, but didn't let her guard down completely. Sesshomaru didn't seem like he was there to harm the demon-slayer. His golden eyes burned into her.

She had a flash-back to the night before. The "owl" that had been following them back to the well hadn't been an owl at all.

"Why have you been following us?" Lina demanded holding Raitou up again.

"I wanted to ensure your safety," Sesshomaru replied gruffly.

"And why would you care about our safety? I thought you hated your brother?" she stated not buying into his excuse.

"I meant Naoko and yours. Inuyasha means nothing to me," he retorted sternly.

That didn't make any sense to Lina, but she didn't push the subject any further for fear of what the dog-demon might do when irritated.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. She wasn't in the mood for games and wanted answers now. The dog-demon seemed to feel the same way because he didn't hesitate in cutting to the chase.

"You won't be able to defeat Naraku on your own," Sesshomaru stated plainly.

"I already knew that," Lina sighed. Someone else pointing out this fact made her feel weak. She probably couldn't even defeat the demon that stood before her.

"And you definitely wouldn't be able to with Inuyasha and that misfit group. They have no chance of survival," Sesshomaru added. No emotion was present as he spoke to the young woman.

"And you're telling me this why?" Lina asked annoyed.

Sesshomaru glanced at the young demon-slayer nonchalantly. "Because I'm powerful enough to end Naraku. And I want you to join me."


	31. Reunited

Kitsune didn't waste any time changing out of her "party attire". It wasn't long before her and Inuyasha were jumping back into the Bone Eater's Well. Even though the sun was down Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango were awake waiting for their return.

The young warrior couldn't help but feel disappointed when she noticed that Koga wasn't there to welcome her back. _It's my own fault. I did this to myself _Kitsune thought sadly. But she was quickly distracted from Koga's absence when she caught sight of Miroku.

Her disappointment transformed into anger. "Where is she?" Kitsune snarled at the monk.

"I-I don't know," he stuttered nervously. Miroku looked worried. Both of his eye brows were dipped and his lips were set in a frown. Kitsune almost felt sorry for him; almost.

"Have you tried tracking her," she questioned, looking at Inuyasha. The half-demon nodded slightly.

"And?" Kitsune stated impatiently.

"After a few miles into the forest….It just disappears," Inuyasha replied solemnly.

Confusion washed over the young demon-slayer. "How is that even possible?" she gaped. How could a human being just disappear? It didn't make any sense.

"Tell her the rest, Inuyasha," Kagome demanded. She had her arms crossed over her chest.

"But Kagome," he whined.

"Tell her," she demanded once more.

"Fine," the half-demon sighed.

Kitsune had a nagging feeling in her stomach that this wasn't going to be good news.

"Where Lina's scent ends there was another scent mixed in with it," Inuyasha started.

_Oh god, she's dead. Some sort of bear-demon ate her _Kitsune couldn't help but think.

"It's Sesshomaru… I'm pretty sure he kidnapped her," the half-demon added bitterly.

"There was no sign of a struggle though," Kagome stated.

"She must have gone willingly," Shippo added.

"But why would he want her?" Kitsune and Miroku cried out at the same time. It seemed that Inuyasha had withheld this information from the monk as well.

"Like I would know!" Inuyasha retorted angrily.

"Well it's too late to do anything about it right now," Sango interjected.

"Sango's right, we should get some rest and continue our hunt in the morning," Miroku agreed.

That was the last straw for Kitsune. "Of course you would say that Sango. You wanted her out of the picture this whole time and now you got what you want. Are you fucking happy?" Kitsune screamed out in frustration.

"And I can't even believe you Miroku! I don't even know what you did, but it had to be bad for Lina to run off with Sesshomaru!" she added disgusted with the monk.

Sango looked at Kitsune, embarrassed and astonished that she had spoken to her like that. Miroku just bowed his head in shame.

"And if you guys just want to give up and go home, then fine! But I'm not," Kitsune stated walking towards the forest.

"We're coming with you," Inuyasha and Kagome called out after the speed-walking demon-slayer. The three trudged through the dark forest terrain. The only light was supplied by the stars and moon that sat high in the sky. _I'm not even gone for one whole day and everything turns to shit _Kitsune thought bitterly to herself.

"Sesshomaru, what are we doing here?" Lina asked looking at the make-shift campsite the two had come upon. She still wasn't really sure why she had chosen to come with the dog-demon. She knew that he would hold true to his word and protect her, but was he really powerful enough to defeat Naraku on his own?

She guessed that she wanted to see what secrets Sesshomaru had for her, plus she just really didn't want to go back to Miroku. At one point she had told herself that she really loved the monk, but now she had to rethink her situation altogether.

Sesshomaru and Lina came across a large cave that had the toad-demon Jaken, Ah-Un, and the little girl Rin waiting outside.

"My lord, you have returned!" Jaken yelled with wide eyes.

"Jaken, I am not to be disturbed, you understand?" Sesshomaru stated plainly as he walked into the cave. The small minion said nothing, but Lina caught his eyes glaring at her.

"Can you please explain all of this?" Lina stated crossing her arms when the two were in the cave alone. If it weren't for the small fire near the entrance of the cave Lina would not have been able to see the sneaky demon moving around her.

"You are just as impatient as ever," Sesshomaru stated quietly with a small smile on his lips. "I was waiting until I could talk to you both but I haven't sensed Naoko in quite a while. You made it easy for me, running off like that," Sesshomaru said. His yellow eyes bored into Lina's.

"Psh…_Naoko_ won't be coming anytime soon," Lina scoffed. She already missed her friend but couldn't help but think that she wouldn't be in this situation with Sesshomaru if Kitsune had stayed with her.

The cave was quiet for a while. Sesshomaru cocked his head and smirked. "Looks like you spoke too soon Yuuko," he said simply.

"It's LINA," Lina stated in an exasperated tone, but before she could even finish her statement, Sesshomaru was gone.

"Lina! Liiinnaaaaa!" Kitsune yelled. Her voice was starting to grow hoarse and she had gotten separated from the rest of the group quite a while ago. It was dark and a slight chill filled the air, but she wasn't nervous.

_If Inuyasha wants to find me he can sniff me out_ she thought briefly as she started to call her friend's name again.

"Don't waste your voice Naoko, your friend is safe," a quiet voice sounded from a nearby bush.

Kitsune turned rapidly, her hand gripping Kensaki no Muchi tightly. Sesshomaru appeared in the moonlight, seeing the obvious surprise on Kitsune's face.

"You have Lina don't you? Where is she? Take me to her!" Kitsune said immediately. She tried to sound demanding, but she realized that she sounded more afraid than she had originally wanted. Kitsune glared when she realized that Sesshomaru didn't even wince at the seriousness in her voice. He almost looked amused.

"Follow me," he finally stated turning into the forest behind him. Sesshomaru led her to a cave with his odd followers waiting in the front of it.

"A-Another one mi lord?" Jaken stated staring at the teen girl in confusion. Sesshomaru simply ignored his minion as he brought Kitsune into the dimly lit cave.

Her eyes caught with Lina's and she ran to her friend in excitement. Lina embraced Kitsune gladly, forgetting in that moment about everything that had happened earlier.

"Kitsune, what…how are you here!?" Lina asked with tears swelling in her eyes. Kitsune felt like she was going to cry as well.

"Inuyasha came and got me when you left. I realized that I _do_ belong here Lina…I'm sorry I ever thought differently," Kitsune said ashamed.

Lina could see the shame in her friend's eyes. She was too mad at Miroku to still be mad at Kitsune for her past decision. Her friend had pulled through for her. "I'm just glad you're here," Lina said hugging her again tightly.


	32. Together we Prevail

"Maybe now Sesshomaru can tell us what the hell is going on," Lina said glaring at the powerful dog-demon before her.

"Why must you be so hostile Yuuko? You should know by now that my intentions are not to cause you harm," Sesshomaru began. Lina opened her mouth, ready to correct him on her name, but the look the demon gave her chilled her to her core.

"Naoko…it pleases me to see you once again, but I must say that I frown upon this attire you have on. It isn't elegant enough for someone as beautiful as yourself," Sesshomaru stated approaching Kitsune.

He caressed her cheek softly with the back of his hand. She could see the razor-sharpness of his claws and was frozen in place.

"Hey, you-" Lina began to speak, but the dog-demon was soon in front of her.

"You always had to be first," Sesshomaru smirked placing his hand on her cheek.

Before she could move, he brought his lips slowly to hers. His lips were smooth to the touch and cold like his icy hand on her face. He smelled like she had imagined royalty to smell like and it made her suddenly feel self-conscious.

It was only a short kiss but it had left her stunned. She was amazed at how gentle the kiss was considering who it came from.

Lina caught eyes with Kitsune, whose eyes had to be as big as dinner plates.

Sesshomaru smirked again; he was proud of his two conquests. They were different, that was for sure, but he knew deep down they were still the young women that he had enjoyed so long ago. He turned to face Kitsune and her stomach fell to the ground.

He reached for a strand of her hair and took-in the smell of her rust-colored locks. They smelled different still; he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"M-my lord…we need to uh….discuss something in private….would you mind leaving us for only a moment?" Kitsune said, thinking on her toes.

Yes, the dog-demon before her was powerful and incredibly handsome, but it took her leaving to know how much she truly cared about Koga. She couldn't bring herself to fall for Sesshomaru, plus, she had been kissed without her permission too many times that day for her liking.

Sesshomaru nodded and exited the cave calmly.

Kitsune ran to Lina who still had the look of shock on her face. "We have to get out of here," Kitsune whispered.

"Why? I don't think we're in any harm," Lina stated simply.

"I think that kiss got to your head," Kitsune sighed.

"Kitsune, he said that we can join him to fight Naraku. He has a better chance of killing him and a better chance at protecting us," Lina whispered. "Plus, he's handsome and a good kisser," Lina added crossing her arms defiantly.

"Lina, it's easy to tell that he's into us both. There was obviously some kinky things going on between him and our past selves, but think about it….do you really want to share him with me?" Kitsune questioned.

"Then _you_ can just leave," Lina said sarcastically.

Kitsune knew her friend well enough to be able to sense the humor in her voice. "Do you really think that he has more of a chance of defeating Naraku? If he does then why hasn't he already done it by now? I'm not questioning his power, but think….do you _really_ not believe in Inuyasha? I believe in Inuyasha's strength more than I've ever believed in anything my whole life and it took me being home for only a day to realize it," Kitsune said with a sincere tone.

"B-but….Miroku and Sango," Lina started. She was soon cut off by her friend.

"Screw Miroku and Sango and whatever they did! Lina, Miroku broke it off with her for YOU. He is in love with you and I bet you can feel it every time he kisses you. You have every right to be mad at him right now, but you can't be forever. I know that as a group, with our help, we have the strength to find and kill Naraku. What if Miroku was deathly injured because you weren't there to help him?" Kitsune stated boldly, finishing with her soap-box preach.

Lina couldn't say anything. She had a million thoughts running through her mind and they were making her head start to hurt.

Just then Sesshomaru entered the cave.

Despite Kitsune's attempts to whisper, he could still hear every word that was said. Like always though, his demeanor was completely collected. This was somehow scarier to Kitsune than if he was acting enraged.

"If you choose to go with Inuyasha and his group of misfits then I cannot stop you, but I promise you…he will fail," Sesshomaru stated, his yellow eyes glaring towards Kitsune. "When the time comes and Inuyasha is defeated…know that you are safe under my watch. Now…you may go at your leisure," Sesshomaru said to Kitsune, turning his back on her.

She gulped loudly. She had never expected the mighty Sesshomaru to show such acts of kindness. Kitsune looked to Lina and signaled her to follow her out the cave, but Lina stood firm in her spot.

"Come on," Kitsune whispered harshly.

Lina crossed her arms and lifted her head defiantly. Kitsune was shocked at her friend, but knew that if she wanted to leave, she had to do it then before her nice invitation ran out. She turned around sadly and exited the cave. She didn't look at Jaken or even the cute little girl as she walked back into the dark forest.

Lina stood in the cave, looking past Sesshomaru, out after the silhouette of her friend. She watched until her friend's shadow faded into the darkness.

"I knew you would remember everything once you felt my touch again," Sesshomaru stated as he traced his finger along Lina's cheek.

_But I don't remember_ Lina thought. She knew that Sesshomaru was familiar to her, but she still had no idea what relationship he and Yuuko had once shared.

Kitsune had been right. She knew that Sesshomaru didn't love her. She had been so blinded by his handsome looks and promise of protection that she thought he could protect her from the pain in her heart that Miroku had caused.

But she was wrong. It wasn't real. Her friendship with Kitsune was real. Her closeness with Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kagome was real. And despite his many imperfections, Miroku was real.

Sesshomaru could sense the distress on Lina's face. He had always known the closeness that her and her fellow demon-slayer had shared. He knew it had to do with Kitsune's choice to leave.

"I am not holding you hostage here," he stated plainly. His voice was almost cold. Lina wasn't sure whether she was making the right decision or not, but she felt in her heart that she had to leave.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to Sesshomaru before she turned to run out of the cave.

She ran as fast as she could until her muscles started to cry for help. Finally she saw the outline of Kitsune who turned immediately to greet her fast approaching intruder.

"Lina!" Kitsune called as her eyes widened with excitement. Lina was too out of breath to say anything and bent over to calm her beating heart. Finally she could raise herself up to look her best friend in the eyes.

"I thought you were going to stay with Sesshomaru," Kitsune said with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Nah," Lina said finally getting the breath she needed to speak. "I just wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine," she said winking at Kitsune.

Kitsune flashed Lina a bright, white smile before flinging her arms around the dark-haired warrior. "We just need to stick together," Kitsune said with her head on her friend's shoulder.

"You think we would have learned that by now," Lina laughed. _Apart we fall….together we prevail._


	33. Naraku's Bees

Lina and Kitsune made their way through the Forest of Inuyasha towards the Bone Eater's Well. Kitsune was pleased that her friend had changed her mind and joined her. She didn't know what she was going to do if she had to continue this quest without Lina. She could kind-of stand the thought of going on without Koga, but without Lina it would be unbearable.

_Koga_ Kitsune thought sadly. She hoped he was safe.

Lina let out a sigh, breaking her out of her own thoughts.

"You okay?" Kitsune asked.

Lina didn't reply right away, but after a moment she let out another sigh followed by a "yes".

"I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better," the young demon-slayer stated. Kitsune could sense that her friend was hurting.

"You could tell me that you'll help me bury Sango's body after I murder her," Lina half-smiled.

Kitsune let out a small giggle. She had always admired that her friend could still joke no matter the situation. "I'll always help you bury the body; no matter who you're victim is," Kitsune answered wholeheartedly.

"Thanks for being such a good friend," Lina started. "I don't know what I would do without you," she added. She placed a hand on Kitsune's shoulder to emphasize how much she meant it.

Before her friend could reply a buzzing noise filled the air.

"What the hell is that?" Lina questioned. Confusion filled both of the warriors.

"I have no idea," Kitsune breathed quietly. The buzzing grew louder and louder as the seconds passed by.

"It sounds like a small swarm of Africanized bees," Kitsune stated after a moment of listening intently.

"How would you even know what that sounds like," Lina interjected. "And why would there be Africanized bees in feudal Japan?" she added.

"I watched a video on them once. And how would I know!" her friend explained defensively.

"Well excuse me!" Lina exclaimed.

The louder the sound got, the more the two girls panicked.

"What should we do?" Kitsune asked, looking to her friend for guidance.

"I vote that we should run," Lina expressed.

"Agreed," her friend replied. By the time they decided to run many giant bees surrounded the area.

The two girls took off at a sprint toward what they thought was safety. Hopefully Inuyasha was still out and about in the forest. He would know what to do about the killer insects.

As they tore their way through the trees Lina could still hear the buzzing right behind them. It was going to be difficult for them to out-run the demon bees. But it was the only chance Kitsune and Lina had.

"I'm so tired of running from demons," Kitsune called out breathlessly. It seemed like every day of their lives in the feudal era they were running from something; that something mostly being demons.

"We could fight, but there's just too many of them," Lina replied, dodging around a bush that stood in her path. Kitsune let out a grunt as she leaped over a fallen log that blocked her way.

One of the demon insects hovered next to Lina. It seemed to look into her soul with its many unnatural eyes. A chill ran up her spine as she glanced in its direction. Without hesitating Lina bent down and swooped up a good size rock to chuck it in her pursuer's direction. She heard a thunk as the stone made contact with her target.

Kitsune focused on out-running the enemy. She thought she would be in better shape considering everything they've ran from in the past. But she soon found herself straining for air and her legs were cramping up.

"I don't think I can run much farther," Kitsune called out to her friend.

Lina had noticed her friend was starting to fall behind. "Just hold on a little longer! We should be to the well soon," she replied.

In the clearing near the well there was a small fire burning with what seemed to be sleeping bodies lying around it. Without a second thought Kitsune cried out.

"Help! Bees!" was all she could manage to yell.

The closer the two got to the fire, the more of the sleeping group they could see. Finally Lina and Kitsune spotted Inuyasha. He was standing in front of them in a battle stance, his Tessaiga glittering in the moonlight.

"Get out of the way!" He yelled at the two slayers who complied quickly. Lina darted to the left while Kitsune ran to the right, taking safety behind an old oak tree.

"WIND SCAR!" Inuyasha bellowed as he thrust his sword in the direction of the swarm of bees.

His sword's powerful energy flashed over the landscape, creating deep scars in the rocks and surrounding trees. The blast was enough to disintegrate half of the swarming bees in one strike.

Lina blinked at the intensity of Inuyasha's power.

"We have to kill the rest of them!" Inuyasha yelled as the bee swarm dissipated around the group.

Miroku ran to the middle of the clearing, his hand on the prayer beads on his right hand.

"Miroku don't use your wind tunnel!" Kagome screamed as she ran over with the battle-ready Sango. "I can see their poison radiating from around their bodies," Kagome finished, gasping for breath.

"Curses," Miroku mumbled grabbing his staff.

Lina was thinking the same thing. She thought that she would finally be able to get to see the great power that was the monk's curse.

"Well let's start killing these things before they kill us!" Lina yelled, slicing an encroaching bee in half. The purplish goo oozed out of the body, melting the ground that it touched like acid.

The gang sprang into action, killing any insect that came within a certain radius.

Kitsune tried to kill as many at once as she could. The sounds of their buzzing were drowning out the sharp cracking of her whip. She couldn't help but think of Koga; if he was there he would never let a bee get close enough to her to even use her weapon.

Lina watched the group as they all fought diligently. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sango hurling her giant weapon to kill 10-15 bees in one swoop. Lina noticed curiously that the bees were charging the other group members, but for some reason, seemed to be avoiding Sango.

In a matter of minutes, and one more sweep of Inuyasha's Tessaiga, the bees were gone.

"What the hell was that all about? How did you two manage to get Naraku's bugs to find and attack you?" Inuyasha asked sheathing Tessaiga.

"Naraku wouldn't have sent his insects to kill us; he knows we have beaten them easily before," Kagome stated curiously.

"It wasn't to kill us. It was to send some sort of a message," Miroku said confidently. "But a message for what?" he added looking thoughtfully at the ground.

"I-I'm not sure those were Naraku's bees," Sango stammered. She looked uneasy as she glanced around the field.

"Are you kidding Sango!? You know what his bees look like, plus they reeked of his scent. What's wrong with you anyway?" Inuyasha asked nervously.

"Nothing, I…I'm just tired is all," Sango replied smiling.

Lina glared her eyes towards the slayer. There was definitely something up with her.

"We should at least try to rest while we can. We all have been up all night," Kagome commented, being her usual calming self.

Sango, along with Kirara, began to walk off back into the forest.

"Sango, where are you going? We should stay together. Just because you and Miroku aren't an item anymore, doesn't mean we aren't friends," Kagome called to the demon-slayer.

Sango turned to give Kagome a smirk. "Don't worry Kagome, I won't be far," she said as she walked a short distance away to set up her camp.

Lina kept her distance from Miroku as she settled down next to Kitsune. It would be hard to sleep with the sun rising, but she knew she had to rest her brain before she went crazy. Miroku had hardly even glanced at her since she had returned. She hadn't even received an "I'm glad you are back safely" from him.

It could have been because of the return of Sango or he could just be deathly afraid to speak to Lina. _He should be afraid_ she thought to herself angrily.

Lina wasn't too excited to be back. But if Kitsune could return to their journey, so could she. It wasn't going to be easy for her to get over having to travel with Sango again, but she could manage.

As far as Lina could tell Miroku and her were done. She was going to see that Naraku's games where put to an end and then she would head back to her own time. And that would be the end of this living nightmare.

"We should really get some sleep. Who knows when we will head out again," Kitsune yawned.

"Alright, hopefully we can end this sooner than later," Lina sighed, laying down underneath the star filled sky.

"It'll be okay, Lina. As long as we have each other," the young warrior cooed, laying down as well.

"I'm just glad we're going to finish this together," Lina replied. She took hold of Kitsune's hand and gave it a firm squeeze before she closed her eyes for the night.


	34. A Mole

It felt like they had only slept for minutes before Lina was awoken by the sound of voices. Well, just one voice to be exact.

"Can we really trust her? She did run off with your brother, Inuyasha. And he is a very evil person. She could be working with him to sabotage our quest to kill Naraku," Sango's voice rang out.

Lina couldn't believe what she was hearing. How dare she accuse her of working with Sesshomaru! Not only was she trying to destroy her love life, she was trying to tarnish her name with such lame lies.

"I find that highly unlikely," Miroku interjected.

_Yeah you better defend me, monk. It's the least you could do_ Lina thought bitterly.

"I don't know, Miroku. Anything is possible. Anyone could be working for Naraku or Sesshoumaru," Shippo stated bluntly.

_No! Not Shippo_ Lina cried out in her mind.

"Lina could maybe, possibly be a mole," Kagome sighed defeat.

_What the hell is going on!_

"I say that we just keep an extra close eye on her, just in case. If she does anything suspicious then we can bring this to Kitsune's attention," Inuyasha declared.

It was scary to think that the people that she trusted her life with, now thought her a traitor. Something was not right! And she had a feeling it had to do with Sango.

Taking a deep breath, Lina pretended that she had just woke up. She didn't want the group to know what she knew. It was better to play dumb and figure out what Sango was up to then to draw attention to herself even more.

With a yawn Lina sat up. "Morning," she stated as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Uh morning," the group retorted awkwardly.

_Maybe this whole play dumb thing is going to be harder than I thought_. It was times like these that she missed having Koga around. She knew that he would have stuck up for her. The wolf-demon was the closest thing to a friend she had beside Kitsune now.

It had been a couple of days since Lina had overheard the group's discussion about there being a mole and each day got even more awkward then the last. It's like she was the center of Inuyasha, Sango, Kagome, and Shippo's attention. But at the same time they wouldn't acknowledge her.

Finally Kitsune couldn't take anymore and dragged her friend into the forest and demanded an explanation.

"Okay, I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to worry you, but I guess it's time to let the cat out of the bag," Lina sighed.

"Yep, it's time to spill the beans, sister," Kitsune retorted.

After she finished her story about how Sango had accused her of being a traitor she waited for her friend to react.

"That bitch!" was the only thing that escaped Kitsune's lips. "She just not happy with breaking you and Miroku up, huh?" she added anger. "Why haven't you done anything yet?" Kitsune asked.

"What am I suppose to do?" her friend questioned.

Sango hadn't done anything to prove her theory that the demon-slayer had anything to with Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo's suspicions. Well, besides bringing up the whole mole idea in the first place. And for some reason Miroku was untouched by this suspicion. But he didn't do anything to ease the others minds either.

"I don't know, maybe defend yourself?! It's not like you to just let Sango get away with something like this," Kitsune answered.

"I know, but I feel like she's the traitor here not me. And I just need to find a way to prove it. I don't want her to know that I'm on to her," Lina explained.

"Ohh, she could be the mole! She did leave for all that time. Who knows what she did while she was gone," Lina's friend agreed.

"That's what I'm saying! Now all we have to do is catch her doing something a mole would do." Lina replied. "But I've been trying to do that for days now," she added with a sigh.

A sudden rustle from the nearby bushes made the girls jump. A very sullen looking monk made his way out of the foliage and approached the two.

"How come every time I hear the bushes move it turns out to be you?" Kitsune asked Miroku with one eye-brow arched. Miroku gave no answer and instead gave a look that seemed to burn straight through Kitsune and into Lina's eyes.

"Oh I get it," Kitsune mumbled quietly as she left the clearing. She gave her friend one more look to make sure she was ok before making her exit.

Lina couldn't bring herself to look Miroku in his eyes. She had already made her mind up that they were through, but if she was so sure, then why did it still make her want to cry?

"I need to say something. Whether you want to talk to me or not, I need to let you know. It's important," Miroku muttered. His voice seemed far away even though he couldn't have been standing more than five feet from her.

"Make it quick because I have nothing to say to you," Lina said glancing at the ground.

"Ok…just listen then. There is something up with Sango, but I can't tell what it is exactly. I can tell she is acting strange and it's worrying me. Not just because of her, but for the well-being of our whole group." Miroku started plainly.

"Also, she accused you of possibly working with Sesshomaru to sabotage us. I wanted you to be aware of the possibility of the group acting strange towards you. I know there's no way it can possibly be true Lina. I will defend you with every fiber of my being," Miroku stated in a more serious tone.

Lina couldn't help but start to cry. The tears in the corner of her eyes were hot and stinging. They were an odd mix of anger, pain, and sadness.

"I can see that I am causing you some sort of pain and that wasn't my intention. When I thought that Sesshomaru had captured you and then found out you went willingly I felt like a piece of me was missing. I know you may be angry with me now, but I will be here for you. No matter what I will be here to protect you!"

The sheer force in Miroku's voice made the tears stop mid-cheek. When Lina finally gathered the courage to look at Miroku he had left the clearing as well.

_So Miroku can tell there is something wrong with Sango too. Hopefully we find out what it is before she turns everyone completely against me_.


	35. The Valient Monk

When Lina returned to camp the first thing she noticed was that Miroku wasn't there. Kitsune was lounging drawing pictures in the sand.

When Lina came close to the fire, Kagome, Inuyasha, and Shippo all looked up at her. _Don't worry guys, I wasn't in the woods giving Sesshomaru precious information on our mission_ is what Lina wanted to say but she knew she couldn't.

"Hey how bout you guys stop focusing on Lina and let's get our plan in gear," Kisune stated, too annoyed to pretend like their judgmental looks didn't exist.

"Naraku sent those bees as a warning of some sort," Kagome stated, embarrassed that Kitsune caught her in the act of suspecting Lina of something.

"Once we get a leg up on his plans we can figure out our counter-attack," Inuyasha mumbled.

"We need Koga back," Lina stated quietly. Lina watched as the expression on Kitsune's face changed at the mention of Koga's name.

Before Inuyasha could snap back about reintroducing Koga to the group, something alerted his senses.

"What is it Inuyasha," Kagome cried out sensing the panic on the half-demon's face.

"It's Miroku, he's bleeding," Inuyasha said standing up to remove his Tessaiga from its sheath.

Suddenly Miroku appeared at the campsite. He was panting and holding his arm tight. Lina could see the blood coming through from his wound.

"Miroku," she whispered.

"I-It' Sango! Ss-he attacked me, in the woods!" Miroku panted through his words.

"What!? Sango Why!?" the group exclaimed in horror.

"Who cares why?! We can't just let her get away with this," Kitsune yelled as she jumped to her feet.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Lina agreed. Even though Miroku and her weren't an item anymore, she still felt protective of him. The young demon-slayer cracked her knuckles before unsheathing Raitou.

"There must be a good reason why Sango would do something like this," Inuyasha started. Shippo hopped up onto the half-demon's shoulder with wide eyes.

"There's never a good reason to stab one of your friends!" Miroku grunted, making his way closer to center of the campsite.

"I would have to agree with him, Inuyasha," Kagome murmured. Before the group could discuss the matter at hand any further, Sango broke through the tree line.

"Nice of you to join us, Sango. Did you come back to finish the job?" Kitsune spit. Kensaki no Muchi was now in her hands and within seconds it transformed into the mighty weapon it was.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Sango huffed, trying to catch her breath.

"Oh, you just happened to forget that you just attacked Miroku?" Lina questioned bitterly. She was trying her hardest not to over-react, but it was very difficult.

"Like I said before, I don't know what you are talking about," she replied through clenched teeth.

"How convenient," Miroku stated, the frustration was apparent in his voice. Blood still dripped from his fingertips.

"You can't play stupid, Sango! Who else would have done this?!" Kitsune demanded. Her grip tightened around the whip's handle.

"Miroku stated you did this. Is the monk a liar now?" Inuyasha interjected finally.

"You were the only one away from camp at the same time as him," Kagome added plainly.

"I can't believe that you both are listening to them," Sango's voice was full of venom and hate.

"You only said that Lina was the mole, not Kitsune and Miroku!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Did you guys ever stop to think that maybe Sango was the mole all along?" Kitsune said while glaring at her fellow demon-slayer. "She left the group for way longer than Lina did," she added with a smug smile on her lips.

The looks on Inuyasha and Kagome's faces were priceless. It was like they were hit by a ton of bricks.

"Yeah, who knows what she was doing all that time," the little fox-demon sighed. Disappointment clear on his little features.

"Who knows, maybe she was the one who let Naraku know we were coming," Inuyasha growled.

"That's how he knew to have the demon puppet ready!" Miroku exclaimed. The puzzle pieces were finally starting to come together.

"And who conveniently showed up to help us defeat that puppet?" Lina added.

"It would also explain why Naraku's bugs didn't attack her the other day," Kitsune stated coldly.

Sango slowly clapped her hands together, applauding the group. "Well, aren't you all just great detectives," she laughed. "I'm surprised you figured it out so soon. I thought my whole, 'Lina's the mole,' would keep you all occupied for a couple more days," Sango added, glaring over at Miroku.

"I knew the whole time Lina wasn't a mole," the monk retorted, a smirk plain on his face.

"Is that why you tried to murder him? Because he knew you were a liar?" Kitsune interjected, weapon still in hand.

"Enough of this idle chit-chat!" Sango yelled, removing her giant boomerang from her back.

"It's about time I got to kick your ass," Lina smiled.

Without another word, Sango released her weapon on the group that was her friends.

Inuyasha quickly picked Kagome up bridal-style and dashed out of the way. Kitsune raised Kensaki no Muchi towards the flying weapon knocking it out of the sky with ease. Lina took the opening and charged at the traitorous demon-slayer.

"I'm going to make you wish that you never left that hole you crawled out of," Lina yelled. Sparks flew as Raitou connected with Sango's boomerang.

The young warrior was surprised at strong Sango was. Lina had never thought she would actually have to fight her one-on-one. But she wouldn't have it any other way. This was personal on multiple levels.

Sango broke away from the lightening sword and began her counter-attack. She swung low trying to catch Lina's stomach, but before she could make contact the young demon-slayer leapt out of reach.

Lina knew she was going to have trouble taking down Sango after the she blocked five of her attacks in a row. Sweat was starting to form on her brow.

Just then, as if Kitsune had read Lina's mind, Kensaki no Muchi wrapped itself around Sango's left leg.

She screamed out in pain as the knife like points dug into her flesh. Sango fell to the ground as she tried to remove the whip from her person.

Lina calmly walked up to the fallen slayer and pointed her weapon to her throat. Sango looked up at her attacker, fear consuming her appearance.

"Before I end your silly existence, tell me. Why did you betray us?" Lina questioned, curiosity filling her.

"Yeah, I think we all have a right to know," Inuyasha added, walking up to where the wounded Sango lay with Kagome still in his arms. Kitsune and Miroku followed his lead.

"I-I had to," Sango started. "It was either work for Naraku, or watch my brother die," she finished, tears running down her cheeks.

"He was using Kohaku against you?" Kagome whispered sympathetically.

"I j-just couldn't let him kill him!" Sango cried.

Lina lowered her weapon. _That's a pretty good reason to stab a friend_ she thought grimly.

"Well, what are we going to do with her?" Shippo asked.

After twenty minutes of discussion, the group came to a conclusion of what to do with Sango.

"Okay, so here's what going to happen. We're going to let you go...this time. Only if you tell us where to find Naraku. The real one. Then you can run and tell Naraku that we found out that you betrayed us, but don't let him know that we have the information about his whereabouts. If you continue to work for him, the next time we meet will be your last. I will kill you personally. Do you understand?" Inuyasha finished.

Sango nodded, a look of defeat upon her face.

"Good, now tell us where the bastard is," the half-demon demanded.

"Naraku is about a twelve day trip to the west. Mount Bandai is what you're looking for. At the peak of the mountain is where his castle lays," Sango stated with no hesitation.

"Alright, you better hope this information is right. Release her," Inuyasha growled.

Kitsune walked up to where Sango sat on the ground with Kensaki no Muchi still wrapped around her leg. They had tied the whip around a tree to keep Sango from escaping. Once Kitsune had the handle in her hand the weapon turned back into an ordinary looking whip. Without the knife like points digging into her leg, Sango was now free to leave.

Kagome knelt down beside her close friend. "We will defeat Naraku. You and Kohaku will be free...Soon," the archer whispered.

As the defeated demon-slayer struggled to her feet she stated, "Just a heads up, Mount Bandai is one of the tallest mountains in feudal Japan. Which means you might want to bring some warmer clothing." And with that, Sango disappeared from the campsite.

"What's with Naraku and setting up camp on mountains. It's so un-orignal," Kitsune complained as the group gathered up their belongings. Now they knew where they needed to go, and it was time to head out.

"Right! I was thinking the same thing," Lina laughed as she bandaged up Miroku's stab wound.

"Oww, not so tight," the monk moaned.

"Sorry," Lina whispered. "I'm glad you're alright," she added with a light smile.

"I'm just glad that we cleared your name," Miroku replied, returning her smile.

The monk was tempted to tell Lina the truth behind his wound, but he decided to keep it to himself for the moment. He had never run into Sango in the forest. That's why the demon-slayer denied attacking him.

Miroku had taken the situation into his own hands. When he realized that Sango had left camp to hunt for dinner, he took the opportunity. Taking the point of his staff, he had stabbed himself. Everything else had fallen into place.

_I told you I would protect you, Lina, my love._


	36. Retrieving Koga

"Well, are we all ready to go?" Kagome asked strapping her backpack on to her shoulders. The group all stood and stretched; ready to get moving after the commotion just witnessed.

"Um…Lina," the little fox-demon walked over to Lina. "I'm sorry for suspecting you," he mumbled looking at his small fox-feet.

Lina flashed Shippo a bright smile. "I forgive you Shippo."

"Hey are we gonna talk all day or are we gonna walk?" Inuyasha growled stretching his shoulders.

"I agree with Inuyasha. Let's get moving!" Kitsune stated as she started walking.

"Uhhh, Kitsune you're walking the opposite way," Lina stated staring at her friend curiously.

"No I'm not….Koga is this way," Kitsune said in a quiet tone.

Lina smiled and turned to join her best friend. She was proud that Kitsune wanted to mend things with the wolf-demon. The group needed him for this, as did Kitsune. They were followed by Kagome, Shippo, and then Miroku.

"Inuyasha….we can't do this without him. It wouldn't be right," Kagome stated with her hands on her hips.

Inuyasha didn't seem to be bothered by her demanding tone. "Psh, I don't need that mangy flee-bag, I can defeat Naraku easily without him," Inuyasha muttered annoyed.

"Inuyasha. I know you don't need him, and I don't care about that. But I need him. Just come for me, ok?" Kitsune asked. Her voice was so steady and convincing that Inuyasha had no choice.

He sighed dramatically before joining the rest. "Well what are we waiting for!? Let's go get the wolf and get on with this!"

Inuyasha and Kitsune practically raced to get to the wolf-demons' hide-out first. Inuyasha knew the sooner they got there, the sooner they could get to Naraku and Kitsune knew the sooner they got there the sooner she could get Koga back.

"We're getting closer, I can smell the stench of wolf from here," Inuyasha growled picking up his pace.

Lina sped-walked to get closer to Kitsune. "What are you going to say to him when we get there?" she asked her. Her focused friend faltered for a split second.

"I'll tell him the truth," she said in a determined voice.

"We're here!" Kagome announced when she saw the fire of the camp ahead.

Kitsune approached the wolf-demon hideout with much caution. Not only could she have been eaten last time she was there, but the thought of having to apologize to Koga was nerve-racking. Her heart practically dropped to her stomach just imagining it.

As they grew nearer to the tribe Kitsune began to notice many strange faces she didn't recognize. There seemed to be a surplus of demons and wolves. They all stared or snarled at the group as they walked by.

"I don't like the looks of this," Shippo whined, tightening his clutch on Kagome's shoulder.

"It's ok Shippo, it's Koga remember? He won't let anything bad happen to us," Kagome murmured as if she was convincing herself.

Lina prayed that Kagome was right. She looked around to see many tough-looking men in armor and fur, glaring at her as if she was a piece of meat.

Some were lounging while others were eating, ripping legs off of wild boars and devouring them. It reminded her of watching lions eat at the zoo; they all gnashed at the meat with sharp fangs and dirty, stained faces.

Two familiar voices resounded in the area that snapped Lina from her thoughts.

"Hey! What are you guys doing here?" Ginta asked as he and Hakaku approached the small group.

"Have you found Naraku?" Hakaku questioned.

Inuyasha grunted, aggravated at the reminder that the mission was temporarily on hold. "It's none of your damn business wolves. Anyway, we came to talk to that mangy leader of yours!" Inuyasha snapped. "Kitsune, you better hurry up and find that flea-bag before I leave. This wolf-stench is overwhelming!" Inuyasha commented covering his nose.

Kitsune didn't have the super-canine smell that Inuyasha possessed, but she had to admit that she could smell a certain musky odor in the air. _Maybe it's all these men_ she thought.

"Kitsune, Kagome, _and_ Ayame…..that's way too many lovers in one space to handle," Hakaku said thoughtfully.

Ginta shot an evil glare to his companion as if he said something he wasn't supposed to.

"Ayame's here!?" Kitsune interjected, suddenly feeling at a loss.

"Well….when Koga came back we questioned him about you guys, but he didn't respond. He only told us to send message to Ayame to come and bring the whole northern tribe with her. That's why there's so many of us here," Hakaku stated simply.

"Yea, he and Ayame are in his den now. I think they are negotiating some terms of their union. He's been ordered not to be disturbed," Ginta said awkwardly.

"You'll have to wait until he's done to talk to him," Hakaku said sheepishly.

"WHAT!?" Kitsune yelled, feeling adrenalin suddenly pump through her veins. She couldn't lose Koga to that brat…not now…not until she told him how she felt. Suddenly she took off in a sprint to find the leader's den.

"Kitsune! He said not to disturb him!" Ginta called after her. Kitsune couldn't be bothered with Ginta and Hakaku's warning.

"Ayame….and Koga…..?" Kagome asked quizzically.

The two wolf-demons ran off in an attempt to stop Kitsune as she neared towards Koga's den. Lina took off in a dead sprint after them, followed by the rest of the gang.


	37. Wolf Demon vs Demon Slayer

_I have to get to him before anything happens _Kitsune thought as she bolted around the corner of his den.

"Koga stop!" Kitsune yelled running into the opening of the cave. Many of Koga's wolfs and wolf-demon followers begun to surround her.

The wolf-demon leader was sitting on a pile of furs, directly across from Ayame. Their deep discussion was cut off upon hearing Kitsune's plea.

Koga swiftly jumped to his feet and waved for his men to leave.

"We told her you were busy Koga," Ginta said quietly.

"She just didn't listen," Hakaku added.

Koga noticed that the rest of the group had caught up behind Kitsune, Lina in the lead. He didn't care though; he couldn't be intimidated to change his feelings.

"So you wouldn't listen to my men's orders huh? What is it Kitsune, did you want to catch us in the middle of sealing the deal?" he scoffed turning his head. His voice was harsh, dripping with bitter sarcasm. She had chosen to leave _him _not the other way around.

When he looked back at Kitsune he was shocked to see her face flush red with embarrassment and anger.

"You may be an uncivilized demon that sleeps in caves, eats raw meet, and wears fur, but when you talk to me, you talk to me with respect!" Kitsune snapped with her hands on her hips.

Koga shut his mouth in response to the blow she had given him. Once again he was astonished at her capacity to set him straight. He immediately regretted the way he greeted her, he wished he could rewind time and rush to her instead, but he had too much pride to apologize now.

Ayame was finally on her feet and stood defensively by Koga's side. "Don't speak to my Koga like that! What even makes you think you have the right to be here _human_?" Ayame snorted in disgust.

Koga lifted his hand up, blocking Ayame from advancing further. "Hold on Ayame, we haven't agreed on anything yet," he said quietly, his blue eyes piercing into hers.

_So I'm not too late_ Kitsune thought. Hope began to stir in her belly as she saw how quick Koga was to defend her. She ignored Ayame and blurted out what she had been practicing over and over in her head.

"Koga, I'm so sorry. You probably thought that I would rather leave than be here with you, but that's not true! I was scared. I thought I belonged in my world because I thought I would have a better chance at succeeding there. I was scared that here I would only fail. I was scared that you wouldn't want to be with me because I would make you weak. I really do care about you Koga and I don't want to continue this mission without you. I don't care if you've decided to be with Ayame, I just really wanted you to know that," Kitsune said, her nervous eyes fixated on the ground.

"Of course he wouldn't want you as his mate. Koga doesn't want to produce a bunch of _half-_demons! He has more pride than that," Ayame stated crossing her arms.

Kitsune could hear Inuyasha shift angrily behind her at the malicious use of the word 'half-demon'.

"Hey, you can't talk to her like that you little-!" Lina started, but was cut off by Miroku. Not that he would ever pass up the chance to see a girl-fight, but this one belonged to Kitsune. Lina had to let her fight it on her own.

The young warrior looked at Koga, confused by his silence. He hadn't responded to her confession and he wasn't standing up for her like usual. For once his expression gave nothing away.

"Ok then Ayame….let's settle this here and now. You have wanted a fight since we met and now I'm willing to give you one. No weapons. Just me and you. Wolf-demon vs. demon-slayer," Kitsune stated, boldly tossing Kensaki no Muchi aside.

Koga tilted his head in amusement. _This should be interesting_ he thought bringing a clawed finger to his lips. He didn't want to see Kitsune get hurt, or Ayame for that matter, but he didn't want to stop it. There was something nice about having two people fight for your love. He finally understood how Kagome always felt.

Ayame stepped forward, smiling a cocky smile. "You got it then," she said cracking her knuckles.

Without a moment's hesitation Kitsune lunged towards the young wolf-demon, eager to teach her a lesson.

Ayame darted out of the way with ease, dancing around Kitsune. Ayame balled her hand in a fist, ready to strike, but the demon-slayer sensed the punch.

Kitsune blocked it with her elbow, absorbing any power from the she-demon's blow. Kitsune grunted as she aimed at Ayame with her left fist, only to catch air yet again.

The wolf-demon was fast…too fast. It was obvious that she had experienced a lot of training, while Kitsune only had the benefit of her slayer instincts.

The battle ensued for quite a while and the other members of the tribe gathered closer around the cave, eager to see the girl-fight. The fight consisted of the same pattern, as if the girls had rehearsed it. Both of them were beginning to grow weary.

Their exhaustion was made apparent in their sluggish movements.

"You're lucky I don't have my weapon or this wouldn't have lasted so long," Kitsune said wiping dirt and sweat off her brow.

Ayame laughed smugly. "What's the matter, can't catch me?" she asked.

The she-wolf sounded cocky, but Kitsune could tell she was worn out. She had been dodging attack after attack and while she had her wolf-demon stamina, she was much less seasoned for battle than the other members of her tribe.

_Ayame may be fast…._Kitsune thought. _But I'm stronger. _

In a last effort to finally catch the she-wolf, Kitsune leapt into the air, tackling Ayame in a cloud of dust.

Ayame let out a yelp as the two girls hit the hard ground. She writhed and kicked her legs attempting to wrestle her way out of the hold Kitsune had on her, but to no avail.

Kitsune smirked and curled her fingers into a tight fist. _Finally it's time to give that whiny bitch what she deserves_ Kitsune thought maliciously.

Just as Kitsune went to strike, Ayame pulled out a leaf that was hidden in her armor. With her eyes shut tightly she sliced it across Kitsune's cheek.

Kitsune's fist uncoiled and flew to her face to hold her stinging wound. It felt like a small paper-cut and only a single droplet of blood formed, but it was still enough to make her eyes water.

"Cheater!" Lina yelled walking to the front of the gathered audience. "You agreed no weapons," she stated again glaring down the red-headed wolf-demon. "I want a shot at her next Kitsune!" Lina added.

"I'm fine it's just a scratch," Kitsune mumbled standing up. She was more regretful of the fact that the fight was interrupted before she got the chance to lay a punch on Ayame.

The young demon still sat on the ground with a large pout on her face.

"I've seen enough," Koga stated, finally emerging from the back of his den. He swiftly approached Kitsune, his feet practically gliding across the stony ground. His blue eyes pierced into hers with a look of determination. He could finally do what he had wanted to do since he first saw her appear in the mouth of his den.

Without speaking a word he grabbed Kitsune's face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but were soon closed in ecstasy as Koga deepened their kiss. His lips felt soft on hers and his wild, intoxicating smell filled her nostrils, making Kitsune's knees grow week. She could sense everyone's eyes on her back, but it couldn't distract her from the moment.

When the kiss ended and she finally opened her eyes she could see Ayame. The expression on the angry girl's face gave Kitsune more joy than she could have ever received from punching her. The she-demon looked completely offended and her eyes showed her overall disgust.

Kitsune smirked as Ayame's expression fueled her fire. She pulled Koga into another surprise kiss, catching the wolf-demon off guard. A couple howls of approval resonated around the cave.

"K-Koga, what are you doing? You're choosing this human over me!?" Ayame cried jumping off of the ground. "What about your pride as a wolf?" she pleaded to him as she grabbed hold of his arm.

Koga shook her off and glared down at her. Her look of disgust had changed to one of fear and desperation.

"What about your pride Ayame? You're so spoiled that you couldn't even stand to lose in a fair fight. You had to cheat. That is not the way we wolves handle ourselves," Koga growled staring at Ayame with disapproval in his eyes.

Her face was no longer on of a potential mate to him, rather it was one of a child; the same child that he had once promised he would marry.

He switched his gaze over to Kitsune. Her amber eyes were beaming, smiling at him with admiration. Her rust-colored hair fell in tendrils around her soft face, making her look royal. He imagined her in fur and armor, with flowers adorning her braided hair and a deep excitement started to flourish inside of him.

Yes, this was where she belonged, here with him.


	38. The Right Decision

Koga still looked into Kitsune's eyes, but his voice seemed to address the whole tribe.

"I know that when I tell the elders of what happened here they would rather have me be with a true warrior than a cheat; whether she is human or not. And when that time comes and I ask them permission to make Kitsune my mate, I know they will approve. That is Kitsune…if you would have me?" he asked as he grabbed the girl's hand in his.

A bright red blush flew to the warrior's cheeks as she looked down nervously. A few jeers and howls of encouragement came from the wolf-demons that surrounded the entrance to the den.

Kitsune wasn't sure what being the wolf-demon's mate-to-be entailed. All she knew was that she wanted to be with him, and that was enough for her. She smiled and nodded at the handsome demon in front of her, receiving an earnest smile in return.

Ayame walked towards the cave entrance, followed by a couple of wolves. She turned one last time to look at the wolf-leader.

"You'll regret this Koga," she mumbled before leaving in a dusty whirlwind.

"Good riddance," Kitsune muttered touching the small cut on her cheek.

Now that the fight was over, the other demons began to go back to their duties. Koga sat down on a rock, regretfully having to release Kitsune's hand.

"I can't believe you were actually going to mate with her," Lina mumbled to Koga, still gazing towards the direction that the she-wolf fled in.

"Well it would have been good for the tribe and we could have repopulated quickly. We were counting on that, especially after all the massacres we've had fighting Naraku," Koga said thoughtfully.

Kitsune let out a low growl. "Really?" she snapped with her hands on her hips.

"Well…yea, what of it? What about you and that other guy you wanted to stay with back in your time?" Koga mumbled crossing his arms.

"I wasn't planning on marrying and having babies with him!" Kitsune stated defensively.

"It's just reproduction. There's nothing special about it. What's the big deal!?" Koga yelled defensively.

Kitsune simply huffed and turned away from the wolf-demon. She briskly walked out of the cave with her head tilted high.

"Wow, nice going," Lina stated laughingly.

"You reallllyyy are bad at talking to women," Shippo mumbled.

"Horrible if you ask me," Inuyasha muttered in response.

"Excuse me!? I don't see you doing much better dog-boy. Kagome is always yelling at you!" Koga yelled.

"That is true, but even so, Koga that was just bad," Kagome said quietly.

"I think maybe you and I need to have a talk about women, come, walk with me," Miroku said putting his hand on Koga's shoulder.

"Oh like you're any better monk! Get your hands off me!" Koga growled.

Lina couldn't help but chuckle in delight. At least the whole gang was back together again. Now they had to focus on the grueling days to come.

The group stood outside the wolf-demon's den while Koga gathered some of his things before they set back out on their journey.

"That mongrel needs to hurry up! We're wasting precious time," Inuyasha growled. Now that Koga had agreed to return to the group, Inuyasha was even more impatient to get a move-on.

"Just breathe, Inuyasha. We'll be on our way in no time," Kitsune sighed. The half-demon mumbled something inaudible and crossed his arms over his chest.

"So, you know what I just realized," Lina stated breaking the silence that had fallen over everyone.

"Hmmm?" Shippo replied, not all that interesting in what the demon-slayer was about to say.

"Kitsune just got engaged! We have a wedding to plan after we kill some demon butt!" Lina exclaimed excitedly. She couldn't believe that her best friend was going to get her happy ending. If she couldn't find that just yet, at least the most important person in her life could.

The happy news was enough to distract Lina from the wreck that was her love life. Sure, she and Miroku were talking and friendly, but they were definitely not a couple again. They just happened to have the same goal and they both were set on seeing it through.

"Oh yeah! How could I not realize that!" Kagome shrieked, jumping up and down in excitement.

"I believe some congratulations are in order," Miroku smiled.

"It's not a big deal guys," Kitsune smiled. She was glad that she had such great friends to share this moment with. Of course she was excited as well, but she didn't want to make a big deal out of it until this whole Naraku thing was over. But the monk took Kitsune in an embrace anyways.

Soon the bride-to-be had to push him away because his first instinct was to take hold of her buttocks.

"You'll never stop doing that, you perverted monk, will you?" Koga grunted as he walked out of his den.

"Bad habits die hard," Miroku sighed, rubbing the back of his head with a wide grin on his face.

As the group made their way through the woods, Kitsune caught Koga up with what had happened while he was gone. The demon-slayer didn't leave out any detail. Especially when it came to the part about how she had found Lina with Sesshomaru.

"He did what!" Inuyasha and Miroku yelled practically at the same time.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you guys didn't know," Kitsune giggled innocently.

Lina could feel her face burning up with embarrassment.

"How could you forget something like that," Miroku demanded.

"And why didn't Lina tell us?" Shippo chirped in.

"I didn't tell you because it would have helped Sango's plan to convince you that I was a mole," Lina explained calmly. "And plus it's none of your business who I lock lips with," she added, folding her arms over her chest.

"It is my business when it's my older brother!" Inuyasha cried out.

"You guys are missing the point," Kitsune interjected finally.

"The point?" Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome asked quizzically in unison.

"The point is that Sesshomaru knows us from our past," the young warrior explained.

"And I believe that he, know, knows us," Lina murmured.

"Like you both were his mate!" Koga stated, finally putting the pieces together.

"Yeah, I think we were," Kitsune blushed.

"Alright, I think it's time to change the subject. I feel uncomfortable now," Kagome whispered. A blush was apparent on her face as well.

"_You're_ uncomfortable? They had sex with my brother!" the half-demon exclaimed.

"We didn't have sex with anyone!" Kitsune stated, frustrated with how this whole conversation was going. The group quieted down and continued to trudge through the wildness that surrounded them.

"Our past-selves did, but we didn't," Lina sighed finally.

"I guess that's true," Miroku started. "Kikiyo and Kagome are two different people, so why wouldn't that be true for Lina and Kitsune," he finished.

"It's just weird to think about," Kagome said, stating what was on everyone else's mind.

"Well, it explains why Sesshomaru kissed Lina then," Koga chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up wolf-boy," Lina couldn't help but chuckle back.

Their first day of heading towards the west seemed short. Kitsune couldn't help but feel like they made no progress at all. The sun was starting to set, making the forest look ablaze._ I made the right decision coming back_ she thought looking at the people around her setting up camp. Her eyes locked with Koga's. The wolf-demon smiled his brilliant white smile making his fiancée giggle. _Definitely made the right decision _she added to herself.


	39. In the Moonlight

Later that night, the group sat around a lively fire that lit up the whole campsite. A silence filled the air. Most of the group was lost in thought of the days to come. Others were lost in day-dreams of how the final battle was going to pan out. Some were thinking about all that was at stake. What all they could lose.

The first day of their trip was complete. Only eleven days remained. The show-down between good and evil would occur and there would only be one true winner. Either the group would get their revenge or they would die trying.

It was a nerve racking realization to Kitsune and Lina. Either they would find a swift defeat, which meant death, or they would be able to live their lives in peace. There was no grey area, only black and white. Only life or death.

Kitsune could only think of how if she perished, Koga and her would never see their wedding day. This thought made her heart ache and her stomach knot. The young warrior wanted to grow old with the wolf-demon. She wanted to bare his children and watch them grow up in a peaceful world. Oh how Kitsune wanted that simple life, but in eleven days, that could all be gone.

Lina had one similar concern to her friend; the wedding. She wouldn't see Kitsune's big day. They would both be robbed of that happiness. The more she thought, the more Lina's mind began to stray. _Miroku_. She could never be with the one man that she would probably always love, though she would never admit that aloud.

Then it dawned on her: they could all live through this whole ordeal. What would she do then? Stay here in the feudal era? Or would she return home to go to college and try to forget about this alternate life? Her heart said to stay, but her brain told her to go.

_At least I have eleven days to make up my mind _Lina thought almost bitterly. This was one decision that she wasn't looking forward to making. What if she made the wrong one? With that last thought, Lina let out a sigh.

The noise seemed to break the group out of their thoughts, at least for the moment. At this point the fire was growing dim, and the flames were no longer as high as they were before.

"It looks like we need some more fire-wood," Koga stated, standing up in one swift movement. It was ridiculous how graceful he was sometimes, but what else would you expect from a wolf-demon?

Kitsune stood as well.

"I'll go with you," she smiled to her soon-to-be mate. He nodded in approval and started into the woods.

The couple trudged almost silently through the brush. Only the crunching twigs and leaves from their foot-steps were audible. They searched the ground thoroughly. Not having any luck from finding some decent branches, Koga and Kitsune ventured a little further away from the camp.

Meanwhile, Shippo let out a long yawn as he lazily watched the flames dance from the fire.

"It is getting late, isn't it?" Lina yawned as well.

"I believe it's about that time. Night everyone," Kagome called, as she laid down in her sleeping bag. Shippo jumped off of Miroku's shoulder and joined the exhausted archer. Without a word Inuyasha jumped up into a nearby tree and made himself comfortable.

"I think I'm going to stay up for a little longer," the monk stated looking over to Lina.

"Well, goodnight, Miroku," the young demon-slayer smiled lightly.

"Goodnight, Lina," Miroku smiled back. She gave the monk one last look before she closed her tired eyes.

Kitsune looked over her fiancé in the broken moonlight as he gathered large sticks into his powerful arms. The tree above her branched, casting slight shadows across his face. She couldn't help but notice how attractive he really was. His nice lean muscles seemed to be even more defined than usual. His broad chest slightly moved with every breath he took. His long, black ponytail almost danced in the breeze.

The wolf-demon could sense Kitsune's eyes on him and turned towards her. A smile of amusement touched his lips.

"See something you like?" Koga teased.

Kitsune could feel her face burning in slight embarrassment.

"Maybe I do and maybe I don't," she teased back.

"Well, I see something I like…no, love, and she's standing in front of me right now," Koga stated seriously, taking Kitsune by surprise. The wolf-demon reached out and touched her cheek ever-so lightly.

"I love you too," she blurted out. She realized that she had never said it aloud before; but it sounded so right.

Koga grinned at her response and pulled her into the most passionate kiss she had ever experienced. Love and lust were both present in his embrace.

"I'm so afraid I'm going to lose you," Koga whispered into Kitsune's ear when his kiss ended.

"You'll never lose me again by choice," she whispered back.

"I will do everything in my power to defeat Naraku. We will have our wedding day, I promise," the wolf-demon growled, holding her closer to his body.

"I know you will," Kitsune cooed, kissing his neck softly. She never thought she could have a lover so devoted to her; just the thought made butterflies appear in her stomach.

Koga put his finger under Kitsune's chin and began kissing her again. This time his kiss was different, more lustful. He dragged his tongue across her bottom lip pleading for entrance, which she didn't hesitate giving him.

Koga's mouth felt smooth and hot against her own. Their tongues caressed each other slowly at first, but as the kiss continued it became more aggressive, more heated.

He kept pulling Kitsune closer and closer until there was absolutely no space between the couple. She couldn't help but notice how she could feel his hardness pressed up against her leg as Koga's hands wandered all over her backside eagerly.

The thought of going all the way for the first time was a scary one. She was almost tempted to push the wolf-demon away. _But this could be your one and only chance to experience this with him_ Kitsune told herself. _We both could be dead in eleven days_ she added sadly.

Koga had the same thoughts racing through his mind. Kitsune broke away from his eager, pursuing lips. The wolf-demon looked down at her with confusion present in his blue eyes.

She couldn't help but smile at him slyly.

"Koga, I want you to make love to me. Right here, right now," Kitsune purred into his ear.

"A-are you sure?" he stuttered.

"Yes, this could be our only chance! And I want to be completely yours…forever," she replied confidently.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Koga stated with a small grin.

"I promise I'll be gentle," he added.

The wolf-demon then swept her up bridal style and carried her to a small grassy opening where the moon shone brightly. He could hear the thumping sound of Kitsune's heart racing. He laid her down softly on her back and looked deeply into her eyes. He was in love with this human woman and he was going to finally have her.


End file.
